The Knight's Shadow
by nightangel96
Summary: Post DK. It was a complete accident. She never intended on finding out who was behind the mask. In fact, she would have preferred not to know at all. That is, until she did find out.    Bruce Wayne was Batman.  BrucexOC
1. Prologue: Secret Identities

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Batman or anything else in this story but my original characters. I am also, in no way, making money from this.

**A/N: **Hello there! Welcome to the craziness I call **The Knight's Shadow**! I'll keep this short because it's only the prologue, but I'd like to thank my awesome beta and friend, **midnightwings96,** for helping me get through rough patches in the story. I couldn't have done it without her! Well... actually I could have, but then it would suck and no one would read it. Anyways... on with the story!

Prologue: Secret Identities

It was a complete accident. She never intended on finding out who was behind the mask. In fact, she would have preferred not to know at all. That is, until she _did_ find out. Now, she just had to figure out how the knowledge could be used to her advantage, but there was one thing she knew for sure.

Bruce Wayne was Batman

Misty Matthews was completely and utterly astonished.

She intriguingly looked from folder to folder, sure that she had misread, but the more she looked, the more it was confirmed. She hadn't _meant_ to find out Batman's identity.

It had just been simple research; background information for her work trip to Gotham. She found out everything she could about Bruce Wayne; his life as a child, his parents' deaths, the work he did, even his shoe size so she would get the idea of how her new business partner ran things. It wasn't until she started research for her _other_ job, that things started to get exciting.

Her other job was one that was done in secret. When she put on the mask and suit, she became someone else; she became Shadow: night stalker and unsuspecting hero. This job was not Shadow's usual. In fact, she didn't want to do it at all, but she had to.

No one tells the Joker no, _especially_ if you owe him.

Shadow owed him two lives: her own and her ex-fiancé's. He didn't save them—of course he wouldn't, but he did miraculously spare their lives. That, she was grateful for. Now, it was time to pay her debt, but it didn't mean she liked it in any sense of the word. She would much rather stick to kicking the asses of the local scum: gang members, robbers, kidnappers, the usual. On the bright side, the job she had been "hired" to do was not difficult and would not directly cause anyone permanent damage.

Distract Batman.

Not hard at all, but she feared at what might happen to Gotham as she kept the Dark Knight busy. Either way, there was nothing she could do besides what she was told. Just to be prepared, she searched for information on Batman to see what she was exactly up against.

As she began to read, she felt as if she had already seen some of the dates, but for a different cause all together. The year Batman made his debut in Gotham was what made the bells in her head go off.

_Where have I seen this before?_

Misty's watchful eyes wandered to the folder titled, 'Bruce Wayne: Wayne Enterprises'. Her dark eyebrows pulled together in suspicion. "Surely not," she quietly said to herself. She opened up the folder and passed the first page that held a picture of handsome Mr. Wayne, and looked for the year he took over Wayne Enterprises. Her curiosity peaked even more when she saw that they matched. As she went back through the file, she found inventory documents from his own company that she had over looked before, thinking they were unimportant. Now, as she looked closer, she saw that they were the opposite. Items from the Applied Sciences division had been taken out by the billionaire himself. These material and weapons—if you knew what you were looking for—would be perfect for someone who wanted to fight crime.

Not only was it the _items_ that were taken out that caught her attention, but also the _head_ of the Applied Sciences division. It was the same man that Misty had grown up calling Uncle Fox, though they were not really related. It was the same man that had helped her become Shadow. Misty gave an astonished laugh at her new found information.

"Looks like I've just caught myself a bat!"

As she eagerly packed her bags for the trip, one thought ran through her mind: _This is gonna be one hell of a time!_

**A/N: **Confused? That's okay. It'll make more sense later. There is more, but let me know what you think so far.

Love,

nightangel96

***edited by midnightwings96***


	2. Dangerous Attractions

**Warnings:** This story is rated M for a reason. Mostly for language and adult content. I will NOT write a full blown sex scene, but it will be implied. **Read at your own risk! **:)

**A/N:** Now things will start getting interesting, but there are a few things that you should probably know. First, this story definitely has an alternate time line because I can't seem to follow rules. Second, it also is a bit of an AU. Last but not least, we are going to pretend that a piece of cloth over the eyes can hide a person's identity. Altogether, things are a bit screwy, but once you get into it, it will (hopefully) make sense!

**Dangerous Attractions**

"She's late, Janice."

Bruce looked at his secretary with growing irritation. He knew it would be a bad move to pass up an opportunity to partner up with Klein Industries, but being made to wait for their representative was eating away at his patience.

Bruce Wayne did _not_ like to be kept waiting.

Her eyes nervously darted from Bruce to the floor as she said, "Yes, sir. I know, sir, but her flight only landed thirty minutes ago. I'm sure she'll-," she stopped talking when she saw the look on Bruce's face. "I-I'll go see what's taking so long." Janice spun on her heels and dashed out of the door in a flash of dirty blonde hair.

He knew it wasn't nice to pick on poor little Janice, but his frustration had to go somewhere. He figured it would be best to bark at Janice than to overturn the large oak table and throw it through the window covered wall. Seeing as how there were five business men at said table, including the company's lawyer, that course of action probably would not be best.

It wasn't just the fact the he was having to wait that was getting under his skin, but the whole week in general. Monday morning all of the coffee makers decided to either stop working or blow up in the faces of the workers, and later that day, the printers wouldn't print. Tuesday, Bruce had to participate in some of the most boring meetings of his life. Wednesday, a new video conferencing program was installed in his office. Technicians walked in and out, always seeming to interrupt every important call he made or received. Today had been better, though he was still on edge, but now, as he waited, he felt his feelings towards the week come back.

Bruce looked down at his watch as Janice walked back into the room, catching everyone's attention. "Ms. Matthews, sir." Janice's wide, relieved smile widened even more as a woman walked through the door.

Quiet, sporadic gasps filled the conference room. Almost like magnets, Bruce's eyes landed on her and widened in response. She looked around the room with attentive dark, cat-like eyes framed with long, thick lashes. Natural, straight, silky dark brown hair fell gracefully down her shoulders and almost halfway down her back in flowy wisps. She walked with complete and total confidence, as if she owned the room and everyone in it...including Bruce. His eyes trailed down her body...her full, blood red lips, the graceful curve of her hips, her long, tan, muscular legs, the exquisite curve of her collarbone.

As if that was enough. She was only dressed to enhance her striking, heart stuttering features. She wore a silky lavender V-neck blouse that hugged her curves in the best possible way and a high waisted, form fitting pencil skirt that stopped about four inches above the knee with shiny black heels...easily five inches.

She was perfect. Delicious.

Yet, even though she was still the perfect description of a goddess, her gorgeous features were pulled together into a look of irritation. It automatically made Bruce want to see how much he could push her before she snapped. His mind brightened instantly at the thought of a challenge.

"You're late, Ms. Matthews." Bruce had to hide a smile when he saw sheer annoyance cross her face. She gave him a sarcastic smile as she took his hand in a firm grasp.

"I'm aware of that, Mr. Wayne. If I could have made my plane go faster, I would have. Now, let's get to work. That is, if you'll allow it of course." She narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled, warning him about what may happen if he _didn't_ allow it.

Bruce motioned for Misty to take a seat as he sat down in his chair at the end of the table. He intertwined his fingers, put his hands on the table and leaned forward with a mischievous smile on his face. "So, let's hear it."

***TKS***

"I'm sorry, Ms. Matthews, but I just don't think Klein Industries is right for Wayne Enterprises."

Mr. Wayne looked genuinely sorry, but Misty knew differently. Throughout the entire time she had been making her 'sales pitch', she watched the corners of Bruce's lips twitch and his eyes sparkle with mischief.

He was playing with her!

She couldn't believe that this man, Gotham's very own playboy, was Batman, but at the moment, she could tell that this was _not_ in fact Batman. Batman only came out at night to protect the people of this dark city. The man sitting here playing this game was not only a billionaire businessman, but also a player.

That was perfectly fine with Misty. She loved games, _especially_ when only her rules applied.

_My rules are the only ones that matter now, Mr. Wayne._

For the past forty-five minutes, Misty had worked her ass off, trying to convince a room full of men that Klein Industries was practically designed to work with Wayne Enterprises. All of them looked completely sold, except one.

Bruce Wayne.

When he said those dreaded words, Misty wanted to pull her hair out, and even more so when he said, "Sorry to waste your time, gentlemen." She was frozen to her seat as the men left the room.

It was only then that she remembered the game.

She gathered up her things with an evil grin on her face and dashed out the door behind the billionaire.

Just as he was about to open the double-doors leading to his office, Misty shrieked, "Are you fucking _crazy?_" The shocked look on Bruce's face was priceless, and she had to hold back a snicker.

_One-point Misty; zero-points playboy._

"_Excuse _me?" It was clear that he was caught off guard, but he quickly composed himself when he saw the office workers watching the scene. He opened the door and gestured to the room. "After you."

Misty walked into the room with her chin held high in triumph, but as she remembered the game, she arranged her features to look annoyed. "So, what's the problem, Ms. Matthews?"

She spun around to face Bruce who was standing by the now closed doors. "What do _you _think the problem is, _Mr. Wayne_?" She said his name as if it tasted bitter on her tongue.

He had a smugness about him as he said, "I'm not really sure. You just seem to be a bit...," he thought for a moment, "pissy."

"Pissy," replied Misty incredulously, who was now pacing in front of a comfortable looking leather love-seat. "Do you know what I had to go through to get here, Mr. Wayne? First, I had to convince my boss that a trip to Gotham would be beneficial to us and _not _just a waste of a plane ticket. Then, after convincing him, the cheap flight he sent me on was almost canceled because they thought the plane had some kind of gas leak. When we _finally_ got to Gotham, my luggage was stuck in Limbo for all I know, and my driver couldn't find his way around a parking lot! And to top it all off, my boss called every frigging five minutes to 'check up on me', and let me tell you, the man has got a stick up his ass and can't keep his hands off of mine. So forgive me for being a little bit _pissy_!" she spat the last word.

When her rant was over, Misty sat herself down on the leather couch and waited for Bruce's reply. He gave a deep, dark chuckle, which she found oh-so-attractive, before he said, "You are forgiven, Ms. Matthews. You don't seem like the type of woman who likes to get what she wants because of pity. But to be honest with you, I'm still not convinced that Klein Industries is right for my company, but now that we are alone, maybe I'll be nice and give you one more chance." He ended with a smile and a raising of the eyebrows as he sat down on the coffee table right in front of her; their knees almost touching.

It was obvious that he was still trying to play with her, but she wasn't going to let him get the upper-hand. At least not today.

Misty gave a mock-relieved sigh. "Thank you, Mr. Wayne. That _is _very kind." She returned his smile and began the small speech she knew would get her what she wanted. "As I said during the meeting, Klein Industries would compliment your company extremely well. Though Wayne Enterprises has connections all over the world, if our companies partnered, you would have almost as much control over California as you do here in Gotham. If that isn't enough, working with us would have no negative effects on you. Either we benefit you, or we do nothing for you at all." Misty's smile became devious. "You would be a complete idiot if you passed up this chance, but to be _fair_, Mr. Wayne, I'll leave you to think about it over night."

As Misty got up, she patted Bruce's knee, and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I hope I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Mr. Wayne." An impressed Bruce just nodded as she made her way to the door. Just as she was about to step out, she heard him call out, "Ms. Matthews, make sure you bring the contract back with you tomorrow. I'll supply the pen."

When Misty stepped out onto the streets of Gotham, she couldn't help but feel successful and excited.

The best part? She didn't have to wait until tomorrow to see him again.

***TKS***

Shadow's black bodysuit fit her form like a glove. The thick denim-like fabric provided much comfort and familiarity as Misty watched herself transform through the full length mirror. Physically, it covered most of her skin and was harder to tear than normal clothing, but it wasn't just the physical protection that gave her comfort.

She pulled on her knee-high black boots and let her utility belt hang sideways on her hips as she thought.

No, it wasn't just the suit that made all of Misty's problems slip away. It was Shadow. When she became Shadow, there was no pleasing anyone or following their rules. She was free to do whatever she wanted, and all she wanted was the thrill of the fight and to save the lives of innocent people. Shadow allowed her to do that without having to worry about what people might think of her in the morning.

Sure, she wasn't quite herself when she let Shadow take over, but that was something she could live with. She enjoyed Shadow's wild and reckless attitude and the way she moved freely, as Misty always followed the same safe steps.

Her sword was strapped to her back and her bo-staff, specially made, was extended to full length to undergo inspection. Once everything met her standards, she reached for her leather gloves and mask. As she placed the simple mask—sleek, flexible, black material that framed her eyes— on her face, she felt the transformation complete. The mischievous and care-free smile on her red lips confirmed it.

Shadow quickly looked around for anything she forgot. The large one-room hotel room was decorated in gold and off-white. On one side of the room was a king-sized bed, and on the other side was a small living room area. She then spotted her grapple-gun on the coffee table. She scorned herself for being so careless, but it was soon forgotten as she slid open the door to her private deck and was greeted with night air.

_Time to meet the Batman._

With one last look to make sure no one was watching, she shot her grapple-gun and was propelled to the roof a different building.

Shadow was then welcomed by darkness and became one with the other shadows.

***TKS***

Batman looked out at Gotham City. _His_ city.

From his place on the top floor of a car garage, he could see the lights of passing cars and now open night clubs.

They were all so naive, the people of the city. They went about their lives without _really_ knowing the dangers of the streets. As drugs were being dealt and people were being killed, they were comfortable in their beds.

That's why he did what he did. Batman protected Gotham's people and tried to show them that there was hope, but instead of seeing him as an example, they continued to be careless.

He sighed and put his hands on the railing, his mind wandering back to the person he'd been thinking about since she left his office.

Misty Matthews.

His lips spread into a grin as he thought of the little game they had started. Bruce had gotten so used to women being all over him. Whether it was for his money or his body, he didn't know. Maybe it was both, but it didn't matter. Those relationships were all the same: boring and unfulfilling, but with Misty—or so far at least—it was different. It was...

Batman's thoughts were cut short when he heard the hissing of—what he later found out— a bo-staff, colliding with his back, almost sending him over the railing. He quickly got his grip and spun around to face his attacker, who was nowhere to be seen. Slowly and stealthily, he walked over to a couple of parked cars, keeping his eyes and ears open and ready.

"Behind you," came a silky soft voice.

Hoping it would connect with a head, Batman swung his fist towards the voice, only to connect with air. As if by instinct, he looked down. His eyes landed on a woman in a mask before her bo-staff slammed into his torso, sending him flying backward onto the pavement.

As he started to push himself up and continue the fight— he just happened to be losing at the moment— the woman in the mask said, "Don't get up." He felt anger start to build up inside him.

Who in their right mind would tell _Batman _what to do?

He pushed himself up onto the balls of his feet only to be swiftly kicked in the chin with a painful force. He let out a furious growl when he felt his teeth bite down on his tongue, drawing blood.

"Well, I did say 'don't get up'! What part of that did you _not_ understand?" Batman rolled on his side to spit out the blood that was collecting in his mouth before getting on one knee. He was finally allowed to see his attacker, who was standing in front of him. His eyes roamed over a bodysuit clad body, up to a masked face, and back down to the weapon in her hands.

"Who the _hell_ are you?' he growled in a voice that usually made the worst villains cringe in fear. She just stood there with a smile on her face. He watched with caution as she shifted the bo-staff into one hand and extended the other.

"Hi! I'm Shadow." Her voice cheerful and sexy. The gloved hand was still in between them as if expecting to be shaken. When he didn't move, she looked disappointed. "Oh, come on! I'm not going to hurt you."

As if to prove her point, she tossed the weapon far away from them into a low concrete wall. It hit with a high-pitched clank.

Slowly, Batman stood up and took a few steps away from the woman, Shadow. "Could have fooled me," he replied. He assumed a fighting stance before continuing. "I mean with all the hitting you were doing, one would assume..." He let his voice trail off, knowing she'd understand.

Her silky laugh filled the quiet air, sending shockwaves through his body. He was surprised by his reaction but had no time to think about it when she replied, "Oh, forgive me! I thought the infamous 'Dark Knight' could handle a few hits, but I guess I was wrong." For the second time today, he found himself playing a game, but this one was different than the one with Misty. This one was dangerous. A _very_ dangerousattraction_._

Shadow walked over to the railing Batman once stood at, and looked over at the city. Deciding not to comment on her accusation, he asked, "Why are you here? What do you want?"

With her back turned to him she said, "What a beautiful city you have here!"

"You didn't—," before he could finish his sentence, Shadow was directly in front of him. He was startled but didn't move. She moved closer to whisper, "I came to have fun! It was very nice to meet you, Batman."

Their bodies were now pressed together, and he had the urge to pull her closer. Shadow leaned in close to Batman's ear; her hot breath somehow making it through his mask. She let out a low purr that could put Catwoman to shame. The sound sent thrilling shivers through his body.

It was seductive, enticing, lustful, and... and it was gone. She was gone.

"Nice to meet you too, Shadow."

***TKS***

**A/N:** A few words before I go. Klein Industries is completely made up. I have no idea if it actually exists, but if it does, I do NOT own it! Also, review please and let me know what you think: good or bad.

With love,

nightangel96

***edited by midnightwings96***


	3. Brunch?

**A/N: I'm back! **

**Welcome, to all of my readers! I thank every single person that has taken the time to read this story, set up alerts, favorited, and reviewed. If I could, I would bake you all cakes, but I don't know where you guys live so…**

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but its here now! :D Also, it's quite long (14 pages). I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not so you guys will just have to tell me (that's my sneaky way of telling you to review). Okay, I'll be quiet… for now.**

**Enjoy!**

Brunch?

"I swear, Mr. Wayne, that if you do not sign the damn contract, I will personally take you to the roof and throw you off of this building."

Earlier that morning, when Misty had brought the contract to Bruce's office, the game continued. It started out with him dragging her around the building because there were things he needed to "take care of". Then, as they headed back to his office, he decided that he wanted coffee and a muffin, but he didn't want to bother his secretary with something he could get himself. By that point, Misty wanted to scream "bullshit!", but she let him have his fun because she knew that in the end, the contract would be signed. More importantly, she would be free of her slime-bag of a boss as she set up connections between the two companies.

Of course Bruce wasn't going to make it easy on her, and when they finally sat down alone with the contract (his lawyer had looked at it the day before and approved), he let his pen hover over the paper like he was unsure. Misty had been patient with him for five very long minutes, but when she couldn't possibly bear it for another minute, she snapped.

Bruce just sent her a sly smile and said, "Calm down, Ms. Matthews. I'll sign it." He continued as he did just that. "Sounds like you need to—"

Misty quickly cut him of as she grabbed the paper he slid towards her. "If you finish that sentence with 'get laid', you'll wake up in the hospital." Though she sounded irritated, on the inside she was ecstatic about the fact that she wouldn't have to work in the same building as Walter Klein for the next month. She was much more content with Bruce's teasing.

His eyes widened for a moment at her outburst, "Um, no...actually I was going to say that it sounded like you needed a quiet dinner in one of Gotham's finest restaurants, but we could always go with your suggestion...," he smiled seductively.

"No."

His brows furrowed. "No?" It was clear to Misty that he wasn't used to hearing the word.

"I will not go to dinner with you." He seemed to consider this for a minute. "Lunch?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Coffee?"

"No, again."

"Breakfast?"

"No." Misty stood and walked towards the door.

"Oh, come on," came an exasperated Bruce. "_Brunch_?" Misty turned around, coming face-to-face with him. 

"Look, Mr. Wayne. As much as I'd love to stand here and argue with you, I have a boss-less month to celebrate and a hot masseur waiting for me at my hotel. I'm just going to fax a copy of the contract to my company first. I'll even leave a copy with your secretary." She opened the door and stepped out, but not before saying, "Have a good weekend, Mr. Wayne."

***TKS***

Bruce smiled as Misty left the room. His mind was focused on the fact that she _hadn't_ said no to brunch. He was sure he _would_ have a good weekend.

***TKS***

Shadow stayed out of public view as she silently walked the streets of Gotham.

After she left Bruce's office, Misty had spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool and getting a massage by Eric, the extremely yummy masseur. Unfortunately, thought, about ten minutes into the massage, it was clear that the only thing Eric could do was look good and give massages. His lack of knowledge had been a turn-off, and Misty found herself wondering if Bruce could give massages. Once the thought came, it wouldn't go away, and she had a hard time concentrating. Leaving Eric a generous tip, she went back to her room, and for the first time in a while, she went to bed before midnight.

When she woke up this morning, she was feeling guilty for not going out to find a certain bat, but she couldn't be expected to every night. Well, she could, but she wasn't going to let a clown have that much control over her life. Truthfully though, she had missed seeing Batman last night. She wondered what his reaction to her would be now, but she couldn't just show up everywhere he was. At least…not _yet_. For now, she needed a reason to be around so she wouldn't look like a crazy stalker.

Sitting on her deck with a cup of coffee, she found her reason. The police scanner was turned down low so she was the only one who could hear it. The biggest report was about drugs being shipped in and out of Gotham. It had been happening for the past week through the water. The police were able to find traces of the trades after they happened, but the biggest issue was finding out where the trade would be happening next. They were setting up security in the places they _suspected _they would be, but, Misty noticed, not where they _would _be. She was disappointed in the Gotham police for not seeing what she did.

As a child, Misty had spent a lot of time in Gotham with her father. Her father, a businessman of sorts, had many contacts in the city, and after the first time he allowed her to go with him, it became a regular occurrence. She had loved the dark from the first moment she laid eyes on it, and when there was time, she got to explore every inch of the place. That's how she knew where the drugs would be traded next.

She waited for nightfall, and then Shadow found herself rounding a corner that lead to an old dock. A smile spread across her face when she saw the boxes being loaded onto a worn-out boat. She tentatively watched the men for a few minute to assess the situation. There were a total of four men, all with guns holstered at their hips. Guns didn't bother Shadow, but it did mean she had to finish them off quickly and quietly. She didn't enjoy that fact very much.

Her first target was a man standing directly under a streetlamp, the glow creating somewhat of a halo around his head. His arms were crossed as if he didn't enjoy his position as lookout. Shadow felt a bit generous knowing that she was going to put him out of his misery. Slowly and stealthily, she snuck up behind him, bo-staff ready in her steady grip. She took one more step towards him, this one audible, and as he turned around, hand on the gun at his hip, her weapon connected with his face hard enough to knock him unconscious. It made a sickening _crack_ before he hit the ground. Just to be sure, Shadow bent down to check his head for bleeding. There was none, and his pulse was strong and steady. If there was anything Shadow was not, it was a killer.

She made her way back to the welcoming darkness as she waited for another opportunity to take down the rest of the men. It only took a minute for one of them to come out of the boat alone. Just as he was about to pick up a box, Shadow slammed his head into the truck's bed, hoping she didn't make too much noise. When she heard footsteps coming from the boat, she shoved the unconscious man to the side of the truck and hid in the shadows closer to the boat.

"Jim... Jim?" A burly man walked out onto the wooden dock, sounding irritated as he called out for Jim. Shadow couldn't help herself when she saw the opportunity to toy with the man. She jumped out in front of him causing him to give a small yelp.

"Sorry, but Jim is resting right now. When you both wake up, you can tell him what an inconvenience he was." Once she finished her snarky comment, she regretted it. The man immediately had his gun out and pointed directly towards her head. She only had time to mutter, "Oh, hell" before the gun was fired.

Thankfully, her instincts kicked in, and at the very last moment she shifted over to the right. She could feel the bullet pass closely by her face before she heard it hit the truck. Coming that close to death had shocked her to say the least, but she didn't have time to think about it as the gun was pointed at her head again. Acting fast, the gun was kicked out of his hand, and he too was knocked out by Shadow's bo-staff, maybe a bit harder than necessary.

Wasting no time, she attacked the last man who was coming out of the boat, yelling. He didn't have much time to react before being punched in the face, and his sleeping body was dragged to the streetlamp with the first guy.

When all of the bodies were under the light, an idea came to Shadow_. Why not give the Batman a present_?

She smiled to herself and got to work, knowing that he would show up soon.

***TKS***

Batman had a pretty good idea of where the trade would be happening tonight; he was just disappointed that the police didn't see it.

As he jumped from warehouse to warehouse, his mind began to wander to the new girl in town, but this time it wasn't Misty. It was Shadow. She left him with so many questions and questionable emotions. He had meant to find the answers last night, but much to his disappointment, she didn't show up anywhere. The feeling was starting to come back, and just like last night, Batman grew angry at Shadow but mostly himself.

He wasn't supposed to let anyone get to him like this! He'd only seen the woman once, and yet whenever he put on his suit, she consumed his thoughts. There were so many questions he wanted answers to, so many questions he _needed _answers to. Who was Shadow? Why was she in Gotham? He asked himself those the most, but he never could produce an answer.

When he reached the last warehouse, he looked down at the dock and was surprised at what he saw. There were four unconscious men tied to a light post. It was clear that the drugs were in fact being traded here, or at least, had been before the men had been knocked out by an unknown force. He would have laughed at the sight if he did that sort of thing.

Cautiously, Batman jumped off the roof to investigate. The traders were circling the post with their shoulders overlapping, and their bodies tied by a rope. It would take someone as strong and skilled as him to pull this off.

"Consider it an apology for the sneak attack the other night." He tried not to jump as he heard Shadow's dark, silky voice. Slowly, he turned around as if he had expected her, but truthfully, he was trying to control his adrenaline rush. Relief flowed through the Dark Knight but was quickly replaced with anger.

He wasn't sure what it was about her that got to him so much. Maybe it was the thrill of the fight she seemed to want to give him, or maybe it was the mystery that surrounded her. Both of these qualities were enough to attract him, but there was something more that drew him in. It was something he felt should be obvious to him, but his brain denied him access to.

"Apology? And here I thought you _liked _an unfair fight." As he said the words, he knew they weren't true. If she was anything like him - and he suspected she might be - then she probably just couldn't resist the temptation of an open target. Her words confirmed it.

"Nah, I was just having a bit of fun. Just like with these guys." She gestured to the tied up men. "Except for being shot at. That's not fun. It never is, but it's all a part of the job, right? Besides, it wouldn't be that great of an apology if I didn't have to work for it." The excited and triumphant smile she gave him was almost enough to make part of him want to smile, but anger won the battle inside him yet again.

"I'm supposed to accept this as an apology? How do I know that they weren't trying to protect themselves from you?" He knew that what he was saying was not fair because he had come to do the same exact thing, but he had to vent somehow.

"They had guns, and they were trading drugs. They weren't exactly innocent." It was clear that she didn't like his accusations by her agitated gaze, but he didn't stop.

"How do I know you weren't helping them? How do I know you're not scum like they are?" Her eyes narrowed before she relaxed as she caught on to his bad mood, and with a speed he still wasn't sure how she could possess, she was right in front of him.

"What's the matter, babe? Have a bad day?" With light speed, Batman grabbed the hand that was reaching out towards him. As if by instinct, Shadow's fist connected with the nose of his mask. He knew it had to of hurt, but if it did, she didn't show it.

It was what he had been waiting for, and now he had a reason to strike. It was part of his nature not to attack unless it was self defense or completely necessary. Now, as he received a painful roundhouse kick to the jaw, it was classified as just that.

They began a dangerous dance, exchanging blows. None of them were enough to cause more than achy muscles and bruised skin, and as it continued on, Batman felt some of his tension slip away. That is…until Shadow started talking.

"So, do I just naturally piss you off, or are there some conflicted emotions going on in that head of yours?" She laughed as she dodged an angry kick to the side. "Ooh, look's like I struck a nerve! Hm, you don't like me?" A look of realization crossed her features. "No, that's not it. Maybe-" She stopped fighting and grinned evilly. "You _do _like me, more than you want to. That's it isn't it? I make you unsure of yourself. One part of you hates me, another wants to throw me against a building and give into some unhero-like desires, and the last wants all of the answers. So tell me, which Batman am I playing with tonight?" Shadow hit the nail on the head. Every word she said was true, and _again_ he felt his anger soar. He rushed forward and yanked her up by the collar until they were only inches apart.

"Who. Are. You?" he snarled. From behind him, he could hear the men begin to move. She took the time to get out of his grip. "I wouldn't be worrying yourself with that question. The only way you would find out is if I told you, or if I slipped up, which I wouldn't count on." The way she spoke—as if she had just won—made him lash out. With a furious roar, he kicked hard at her shoulder.

The force of the blow made her slam into the truck with a low grunt. Instantly, he regretted what he had done as she grimaced and sucked in a shaky breath. Their eyes connected, and she sent him a pained look. Whether it was from the fact that he had kicked her or the force of the kick, he didn't know.

"Shit," came a hiss. All four men were more or less awake now, and they seemed to shy away from the look Batman gave them. When he turned around, Shadow was on top of the warehouses.

"Do with them what you like," she called out harshly. "I don't really care as long as my name doesn't show up in the papers." Before he could respond, she was gone.

Batman was left with four pissed off drug traders and the feeling that _he_ had something to apologize for, now.

***TKS***

Shadow slid open the door to her hotel room and entered, feeling exhausted. All she wanted was to collapse on the welcoming bed, but first it was time to put Shadow away.

Walking towards the bathroom, Misty carelessly threw her mask on the floor next to her bed. The bright, fluorescent lights of the bathroom did little to wake her up. The showdown with Batman had taken a toll on her, but that didn't mean she hadn't enjoyed it. It was quite the opposite, actually. She loved every single second of it. He was a challenge, unlike the common criminal. He was also unpredictable. She looked at her now unclothed shoulder. It was red and throbbing dully. By tomorrow morning it would be a nasty bruise.

Misty smiled a bit. Shadow had angered Batman, and for just one moment, he didn't hold back. The hit had hurt, but she wasn't angry about it. His reaction to her taunting had been the one she wanted. She knew that if she could get him to do something he regretted, he would try to fix it. The hero in him would allow him to do nothing else, and because of it, Batman was now wrapped around Shadow's finger.

She hated deceiving him, but she had a job to do. Misty had no desire being stuck under the Joker's purple gloved thumb for the rest of her life.

After brushing her teeth and putting on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, Misty crawled under the comforter with a sigh. All thoughts of her night and the troubles of her life disappeared as she gave in to the always welcoming darkness.

***TKS***

_Knock-knock-knock!_

Misty closed her eyes even tighter as she tried desperately to ignore the dreadful sound, but it was persistent. Finally when the sound didn't go away, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and made her way over to the door. She was going to have a nice 'chat' with the hotel about the staff waking her up on her day off.

Misty Matthews was _not _a morning person.

She let out a low snarl while opening the door, but it was cut off when she was greeted by a smiling Bruce Wayne. "Good morning, Ms. Matthews." He chuckled at her shocked expression.

"Mr. Wayne, what are you doing here? It's Sunday. I'm not due back at the office until tomorrow morning." She was so surprised that none of her usual sarcasm made it into her tone.

"I know that." He let his eye wander into the room behind her briefly before they came back to her. "You look cute with bed head." Quickly, Misty tried to comb her fingers through her tangled hair, but when they met numerous knots, she gave up. She received a chuckle for her effort.

"Then what _are_ you doing here?"

"Brunch," he said matter-of-factly. Misty, not being fully awake yet, was still confused.

"Brunch?"

"Yeah. Can I come in?" he asked with a smile, showing his perfectly white smile. Misty looked at Bruce in utter confusion before stepping aside and allowing him to enter. He gave a satisfied whistle when he walked in. As she closed the door and turned around, something black caught her attention, and she almost had a panic attack. While Bruce's attention was on the flat screen, Misty ran over to the side of the bed and frantically kicked her mask underneath it. Just as he turned around, she plopped on the bed with a sigh of relief. "So, mind telling me what you're _really_ doing here?"

"Like I said before, brunch."

"I never—" her words were cut off by Bruce.

"Actually you said 'no' to dinner, lunch, coffee, and breakfast. When I asked about brunch you just left. It could have easily mistaken as a 'yes'. I even came early so you had time to get ready." Misty cursed herself for not catching on sooner, but truthfully, she _was_ a bit tired of playing hard to get—though not enough to give up completely. She decided to let him win this time.

Misty closed her eyes and exhaled, then looked at the man who was now sitting on the bed beside her. "Fine. I'll go get ready." She pushed herself off of the bed, still feeling a bit sluggish, and headed to the bathroom. As a last minute thought, she turned around and said, "If you even_ think _about going through my things, I'll—"

Bruce only laughed—a sound that made Misty involuntarily shiver—and waved her off. "Just go!"

***TKS***

Misty took her time in the shower out of spite. Eventually, when she got bored, she got out and stood in front of the large mirror to examine her shoulder. Both the front and back were a deep, disgusting dark blue, which explained the soreness she felt when she moved it. Pain, Misty could deal with, but the fact that the man that bruised her was just on the other side of the bathroom door both amused and frightened her. If he saw her shoulder, her cover would be blown, and that wouldn't end well. She felt a tight feeling in her chest as she thought about the last time someone found out about Shadow. Her secret had cost her her fiancé, and because of that, she wasn't about to let herself be hurt like that again. Though she and Bruce did not have the type of relationship where him leaving would hurt her, there was a possibility that he would tell the world who she was, and her whole life's work would go down the drain. She sure as hell would not let that happen.

It was for that reason that Misty made sure that her throbbing shoulder would be covered up by a black leather jacket over a red ribbed tank top. She pulled on a pair of dark skinny jeans and black ankle boots, put her slightly damp hair into a high ponytail, and walked out of the humid bathroom to see Bruce lying on his back on the bed. She let her eyes wander over his body when he wasn't looking, starting with his shoes. They were- no doubt—designer and the black material shone as if they had been cleaned within the last few minutes. Traveling up, Misty could see that his khaki pants were neatly pressed to have creases in all the right places. Finally, she reached his torso and was _very_ satisfied with her reward. His light v-neck sweater—rich blue and long sleeved—hugged his body in all the right ways. The two times she saw him as Bruce, he had been wearing suits, and although he looked dashing in them, they didn't allow his build to show. As Batman, it was hard to distinguish what was real and what wasn't. Now it was almost painfully clear. Every muscle was perfectly defined and seemed to call for Misty's touch. She definitely wanted to thank the person that dressed him this morning.

"Do you always sing that loud in the shower?" Bruce, still lying on the bed, hadn't looked up when Misty exited the bathroom. She thought she could hear the smirk in his voice, and it was confirmed when he sat up. His eyes roamed over her body just as hers had, and she had to hold back a snort when his smirk wavered before returning full force. This was new territory for both of them, as _Misty _and _Bruce_ hadn't met outside of the office, so it wasn't too surprising that they were sizing each other up. She didn't, however, count on wanting to forget about brunch and join him on the bed for dessert.

"I'm not sure. I wasn't aware that I was singing." Misty tried to distract herself with conversation.

Bruce gave a light laugh. "Well, you were. Quite well I might add. Do you have some kind of training or something?"

"Um, yeah. My mom made me take vocal lessons along with other things." There was no mistaking the bitterness that found its way into her voice when she spoke of her mother, but if Bruce noticed, he didn't show it. "Other things?" Misty walked over to the bedside table to check her cell phone.

"Vocals, dance, piano. Practically every extracurricular activity that could be shown off to her not-so-good friends, she put me in." Because she was so busy looking through the multiple phone calls, emails, and text messages from her boss, Misty didn't see the trap she set up for herself. "My father, on the other hand, actually had an idea of what I was interested in and put me into many different types of martial arts." As she said the words, she instantly regretted them. She desperately hoped that Bruce hadn't connected the dots.

"Martial arts? I guess that explains the attitude. Why be nice to people when you could just kick their asses, right?" he smiled slyly. Misty almost passed out from relief. It was clear that he didn't suspect anything.

"I do _not_ have an attitude," she said in a tone that proved the opposite.

Bruce just laughed.

"Look, are we going to stay in here all day, or are you taking me to brunch?"

He gave an exaggerated sigh. "I guess." The lopsided smile he gave Misty made her heart flutter in a way she loved _and _found disgusting at the same time. They made their way to the living room area where Bruce picked up an expensive looking coat and tossed it over his arm. Just as they were about to step out of the door, Misty's phone, which she left on the table on purpose, started to ring.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Bruce nodded towards the shrieking phone.

"No it's probably Walter, _and _it's my day off. Besides, it would be rude." With that, she closed the door, and they made their way to the elevator.

"I have to go to the lobby before we leave if you don't mind, Mr. Wayne," Misty said as she pushed the button, making it light up.

"I don't, and please Misty, call me Bruce," he replied as if she was silly for calling him anything else. She looked over at him and gave a polite smile. "Sure thing, _Mr. Wayne_."

He shot her a playful glare as the elevator stopped, and they stepped off. As they made their way to the front desk, Misty tried to ignore the staring guests. And even though she tried as much as she possibly could, she couldn't help but send a smug glare to a young blonde who was catching an eyeful of the playboy that stood abnormally close to Misty's side. Naturally, she couldn't help but chuckle when the girl glared back and poked her chest out as if to prove something.

The smile stayed put as she leaned on the receptionist's desk and said, "Good morning, Jennifer!" The brunette had been here when Misty checked in, and they had grown to like each other. When she and Bruce walked up to the desk, she had been looking at, what Misty presumed was, a poorly hidden cell phone. Jennifer slowly tore her gaze from under the desk.

"Good morning, Ms.—" her reply was cut short when she caught sight of Bruce. For a split second, her jaw dropped to the floor. She quickly recovered, and her lips turned up into a hungry smile. Misty didn't like it one bit.

Jennifer continued talking on a slightly different track. "_Hello_ Mr. Wayne. How nice to see you!"

Bruce, either oblivious to the way that her eyes were practically raping his body or not caring, smiled back. "It's _very _nice to see you, too. Jennifer was it?" Said girl extended her hand in a way meant to be dainty but to Misty just seemed to scream 'do me!'. They shook hands longer than necessary before she said, "Yes, but you can call me Jenny."

Misty almost had a hard time believing this was the same girl that—when she first met her—had a fuck-the-world attitude. Key word there was _almost_. The female population- on many occasions- disappointed Misty to the point that she tried to think of herself separate from the group. Jennifer's reaction to Bruce was a great example of why.

Misty tried to calm herself as Bruce and Jennifer continued to talk, but after few minutes of their babbling, she was ready to choke someone. She gave an interruptive cough, causing the conversation to stop and their eyes to turn to her. It didn't last long though as Jennifer turned back to Bruce, looking a bit more business-like. "So, Mr. Wayne, what can I do for you?"

"Actually, Jennifer, you should be assisting _me_. I mean, it _is _your job as a receptionist to attend toguests, is it not?" The smartass tone did not go unnoticed by Jennifer or Bruce, who smirked but kept quiet as he waited for things to really unravel.

The look the receptionist gave Misty was clearly meant to scare her off, but she, amused, raised an eyebrow in question, waiting for a reply. "You are completely right, Ms. Matthews, but unfortunately you aren't top priority at this hotel so you'll just have to wait," her voice sickly sweet. What Jennifer said about priority was, in fact, not true as Misty was good friends with the owner, but she didn't feel the need to pull that card.

"Someone really should go over your job description with you again, Jennifer. Your job is with the _guests_. Mr. Wayne is in fact _not_ one, but I am. Now, I would suggest you stop drooling, close your legs, and assist me before you find yourself looking for a new job." Misty's fake smile was completely gone, and her voice turned dark in a way that not many people argued with, including Jennifer.

She stood up straighter and spoke through clenched teeth. "What do you need, Ms. Matthews?"

"I'll be going out for a bit and won't have my phone with me. If Mr. Klein calls, which I'm sure he will, I need detailed messages taken for each one. Also, makes sure that my room is not entered while I'm gone." Jennifer only gave a curt nod as a reply and began typing something into a computer. She looked as if she were about to say something to Bruce, but thought twice when she saw Misty's glare.

As they made their way back to the elevator, Bruce began to chuckle. It wasn't until they stopped at the hotel's garage that she found out what caused it. "What, pray tell, is so damn funny?" Her bad mood was almost gone, but there was a hint of irritation in her voice at not knowing the joke.

Bruce laughed louder as he led her to his car. "You…you were _jealous_!" Misty stopped walking, making him turn around to face her.

She crossed her arms and snarled, "I. Was. Not. Jealous." The playfulness in her tone was evident, proving that she wasn't really upset by his accusation.

"Oh? Then what exactly would you call it then?"

"I was simply doing you both a favor. If I let her keep going, she would have embarrassed herself, and you would have gotten molested. It had absolutely _nothing_ to do with my feelings," Misty lied matter-of-factly.

They continued to walk through the garage side-by-side,

"Yeah, well, I still say you were jealous." Bruce smirked back.

"Oh, please! That girl has nothing that I should be jealous of, and if you aren't nice to me, I wont go to brunch with y—oh my!" Misty stared at the silver Lamborghini in front of her, convinced that she had just fallen in love. Bruce noticed her look and asked with false innocence, "I'm sorry, what were you saying, Misty?"

She ignored his mocking tone. "You _have_ to let me drive it!" He seemed to mull this over. "I don't know… you haven't exactly been ni—"

"Please!" Misty's eyes were wide with excitement and fear that her teasing had actually cost her something.

"I'll consider it, but first we actually have to sit down and eat." With that, Bruce slid into the driver's seat, and Misty followed, her heart nearly melted as she sank into the passenger seat. Much to her pleasure, the top was let down, and as they sped out of the underground garage at a speed that could _not_ be legal, a wide grin was plastered on her face.

***TKS***

"They expect me to eat this?" Misty looked down at the plate in front of her. She had ordered an omelet, but this was not what she had expected.

She and Bruce sat at small table in front of a wall made completely of ceiling to floor windows. From the top floor of yet another hotel, they could see Gotham, awake and bustling with busy people. All around them were men and women in suits drinking coffee and looking at the morning paper. Dressed more casually, Bruce and Misty stood out in more ways than one and attracted the eyes of others, but neither of them paid the curious customers any attention. Instead, Misty gaped at the food in front of her, sure that someone had made a mistake.

"I mean, look at it," she continued. "This isn't food. This is _art_!" She looked up to see Bruce watching her in amusement.

"Though I'm sure the chef will appreciate your view on his food, I think he might get the wrong idea if you just sit there staring at it the whole time we're here." Misty looked uncertain. "Now would be the perfect opportunity for me to say 'take a picture, it'll last longer', but I'm not going to because that would be juvenile." No response. "Just eat it already."

Misty mumbled to herself as she carefully cut off a piece of the omelet and placed it into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully before looking again at Bruce, who was giving her a look that said 'I told you so' over his glass of orange juice. After eating in silence for a few minutes, Misty reached for the newspaper that sat on the edge of the table. As if by luck, the first page she turned to—the third page—featured an article on the Batman. This particular one had to do with the Dark Knight stopping a drug trade last night. Briefly reading over the article, she decided to have a little fun with it. Laughing lightly to herself, Misty waited for Bruce to take the bait.

"What's so funny?" he asked after sitting down his glass. Misty put the paper on the table and pushed it over to his side, pointing at the article. She watched in silence as his eyes glanced over the article, and his body stiffened slightly. "You think Batman is funny?" He folded it back up and put it on the edge of the table as if it made him uncomfortable. The sight alone almost had her in hysterics, but she held it back.

"I've never met the Batman so I wouldn't know if he is funny or not, but what I _do _find funny is that the people of this city are ready to lock him up unless he's benefiting them in some way. They act as if he were some kind of criminal, but if he were to one day disappear, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves. The whole city would go back to living in complete fear."

"So you approve of Batman," Bruce asked, somewhat cautious.

"You don't," she retorted.

"I'm not really sure what to think. The man acts as if he's above the rules. That could be a problem, if it isn't already." Seeing him so unsure, made Misty realize just how hard being Batman was on Bruce. She never had that problem as she always made sure to keep Shadow out of the public eye. The need to comfort him was almost overwhelming.

Misty grew serious. "Someone has to do it, if not to physically protect the people of this city, then to show them that they don't have to live in fear. Unfortunately for him, they won't show their gratitude because of the fear of standing out; the fear of breaking those rules that are meant to help us but in the end only cause us more pain. A good person in my eyes would continue to protect the very people who shun them, just as he has done. Even as the people of Gotham continue to view him as the problem, he stands strong and absorbs the shock that would send the city crumbling. He deserves to have some kind of reassurance. He deserves to have someone tell him that what he's doing _is_ the right thing and not just a waste of time and effort. He needs to know that there are people out there—like me—that stand on his side." Misty smiled at Bruce playfully. "I wouldn't mind being the one who told him either. He _is_ quite hot."

Bruce, who had been sitting quietly, listening intently to Misty's speech, began to shake his head and laugh at Misty. "You are absolutely unbelievable! You think a guy that runs around in a mask and cape is _hot?_"

"Um…_yeah_. I've always liked a mystery. Do you think that if _I_ went running around Gotham in a mask that he might be attracted to me?" She didn't have to wait long for the reaction she wanted.

Bruce tensed yet again and scratched the back of his neck. "Why would you think he would find that attractive?"

"He's a theatrical man. I just figured he would appreciate a bit of flare, but if you don't think that would work, I could always stand in the middle of the road and scream 'help'."

After figuring out she was teasing, the man in front of her relaxed. "Are you really _that_ desperate," he asked with a laugh.

"Never," Misty said horrified. "If I become that desperate, I give you permission to shoot me."

"I'll hold you to that."

***TKS***

For the rest of the meal, Bruce and Misty talked about everyday things that usually would have bored her, but she found herself completely engrossed in what he had to say. By the time the check came and they made it back to his car, Misty wasn't ready to leave him just yet.

"Back to the hotel then," he reluctantly said. She reclined the passenger seat back and closed her eyes.

"Nope. You got me out of bed early on my day off so you're just going to have to make it worth while. Let's do something else." She ignored the fact that she sounded like a spoiled six year old.

"Okay," Bruce chuckled. "What do you want to do?"

Misty cracked open one eye to look at him. "I don't know. Surprise me."

After a minute of thought, he put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking space. "I think I have an idea."

Startled by the sudden movement, Misty sat up as they were, once again, zooming out onto the streets of Gotham. "Where are we going?" 

The smirk on Bruce's face told her that she wouldn't like his answer, and it was right.

"It's a _surprise_!"

**A/N: Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long as this one did, but I'm not making any promises because I like to keep mine and would be upset if it didn't get out on time. Also, for those of you waiting for midnightwings96 new story, it is on its way. Unfortunately, she had some issues with getting access to a computer, but she is working on it. **

**Read and review!**

**Love much,**

**nightangel96 **


	4. 20 Questions

**A/N: This chapter took much longer than I thought it would, and I apologize for that. But I do have to say that the lack of reviews was a bit discouraging. Without them I have no idea if I'm doing good or not. So, be a doll and review please? It doesn't have to be super long, just enough for me to know how I'm doing. Now if you want to be all descriptive that's great and I will love you forever! Anyways…**

**Thank you midnightwings96 for helping me through this chapter, and as always, betaing the crap out of it. You are amazing and deserve the best cookie that money can buy! *hugs***

* * *

><p>20 Questions<p>

She was _indeed _surprised when she stepped out of the billionaire's Lamborghini. Slowly taking in her surroundings, Misty saw that they were standing in front of a small body of water that was surrounded by tree-covered land, making an almost perfect circle. The only break in the circle was where the blue-green water emptied into a larger area. "You brought me to the lake?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bruce walked around the car to stand next to her. He gave a charming grin. "Oh, so you _can_ see." Misty glared at his joke. "What? The lake isn't good enough for you?"

"No, I love the lake. I just thought you wouldn't want to get your expensive shoes dirty," she leered.

"I can always buy new ones," Bruce called nonchalantly as he walked to the dock. Misty rolled her eyes but followed. They stood in silence, just taking in the beauty of the water and the surrounding trees. After a few minutes, Bruce broke the silence.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are working for Klein Industries if you can't stand your boss?" The question caught Misty off guard, but the caring in his voice shocked her the most. No one had taken the time to ask her about her work situation since… She mentally shook her head. This was _not _the time to think about _him_.

She sighed as she began. "When I first started working for the company, he wasn't really a problem. I just thought he was nice, which in a way he is, but he only does it to get what he wants." She grimaced in disgust. "Eventually, he got braver and started making passes at me, but by that time, I'd already been working there for a while... But to answer your question, I'm still working there because I'm too stubborn to give up my job, and because I'm so close to where I want to be." Excitement was laced in her voice as she grinned up at him.

"And where do you want to be, Misty?" He asked with an expectant smile and a raised eyebrow.

"_On top_, of course," she leered. They shared a suggestive smile before Misty noticed how close Bruce was to the edge of the dock. "Be careful. We wouldn't want you falling in and ruining your over-priced clothing." He did nothing to try to hide his rolling eyes.

"You worry too much. I can handle myself, thank you." He continued talking, but Misty wasn't listening. That cocky smile he gave her was as infuriating as it was attractive. The way he brushed off her warning as if she was being overly cautious made her want to prove otherwise. And what Misty wants, Misty gets.

"I bet you look good wet, don't you, Bruce?" Bruce's eyes widened at the low, dark, drawling tone to her voice. It sent a slight shiver down his spine. Not sure what she meant by that, he slowly turned around. The puzzled look on his face was one she would never forget.

"Wha—" Before he could finish speaking, Misty stepped forward and pushed him into the murky water with a loud _splash!_ By the time he resurfaced, she was doubled over in laughter.

"I…I tried to warn you." She chuckled, receiving an unhappy glare in return. "Oh, come on. Lighten up!"

Bruce's glare faded into something mischievous as he swam closer to the dock. "You are absolutely right about both things, Misty."

"Both?" she asked, sobering up.

"Yes, both. I _do _need to lighten up, and it _is _dangerous to stand on the edge of a dock." With that, he reached up, secured a hand behind her knee, and pulled her into the water with him. She gave a startled yelp before falling into the lake.

Misty could hear Bruce's laughter before her head came out of the water. Trying to get used to the extra weight of her now soaked clothing, she swam over to him. "Okay," she laughed. "I deserved that… Asshole." She muttered the last part loud enough for him to hear.

"Excuse me?" He shouted in mock outrage.

"You heard me," Misty replied before childishly sticking her tongue out. She enjoyed her moment of glory before noticing the look of a predator on Bruce's face. Her eyes grew wide and she shrieked as he lunged for her. Growls, screams, and laughs echoed off of the water as he tried to pick her up and throw her back into the water they were struggling in.

Trying to stop his attack, Misty threw her arms around Bruce's neck and held on for dear life. "I was right again," she giggled over their splashing. "You _do _look good wet."

The only sound thatcould be heard now was their breathing, as they were silent, aware of just how close they were with Bruce's hands on her hips and her arms around his neck. Stayingafloat became increasingly harder, but neither of them noticed. Misty stared intently into the dark eyes that held both amusement and intensity. She watched as his lips turned up into a big but sexy grin.

"What?" she breathed out, very aware of the fact that they were still holding onto each other.

"You called me Bruce." His voice a mixture of wonder and delight.

Misty's lips parted into a smile to match his. "Yeah, I guess I did…_Bruce_."

* * *

><p>A cool breeze blew through the park, and Misty involuntarily shivered. Bruce watched as she subconsciously snuggled deeper into his coat that she had taken from him when they exited the water.<p>

He was so satisfied with the progress they were making that he almost missed how she put on his coat before slipping her jacket off underneath it. _Almost._

Maybe it was just his Batman instincts going wild, but the action itself puzzled Bruce because Misty didn't seemed to be the type to be self-conscious. Instead of calling her out on it, though, he suggested they go for a walk in a near-by park connected to the lake.

"I think it's only fair that I ask _you_ a question now." Misty said, looking up at him with eyes that always seemed to be flirting.

"Okay," he smirked. "Shoot."

She took a moment to think, and when she looked back up at him her face was serious and a bit cautious. "What were your parents like?"

Bruce took a deep breath before answering. Even though his parent's deaths happened when he was very young, it was still a tender spot for him, but something told him he could trust Misty with something so fragile. "My parents… my parents were some of the best people I have—and ever will—meet. They were both so patient and caring. There is not a day that goes by that I question their love for me… their love for Gotham. They make me want to live up to what they saw for the future. They make me want to finish what my father started." His voice got quiet when he said, "It's because of them that I'm fighting to make this city better."

Bruce looked over to see Misty nodding in agreement. Their eyes connected for a minute in deep understanding. He cleared his throat, dissolving the tension a bit. "What about you? What are your parents like?"

Misty's step faltered a bit, but she stared straight ahead and opened her mouth to speak. "As I'm sure you gathered my mother and I aren't exactly _close. _Being a big shot lawyer, she was all about image. I was only useful to her when I was performing for her other lawyer 'friends'. She liked to show me off like some kind of show dog, but when I wasn't in the spotlight I was practically invisible. But don't get me wrong, I had a great childhood outside of her. I had lots of friends, plenty of money to spend, and a nanny that loved me like I was her own."

Caught off-guard Bruce said, "You and your father seem to be close."

With that Misty stopped walking completely and turned around to snarl at him. "Don't _ever_ assume _anything _about my life!" Misty's voice was full of undeniable rage, her brown eyes darkening to almost an ebony black color. A white-hot fire blazed behind her eyes, fury sparking from them as she glared at him almost demonically. Her jaw was clenched, her top lip lifted, as if a growl was about to escape her throat. She looked terrifyingly insane.

Chills ran up Bruce's spine, and his fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, telling him to get ready for a fight. Never had that feeling been so strong without wearing the suit. For a moment, he felt that the woman had truly lost her mind.

Trying to calm her down he replied with a careful, "Okay". Just like that, the look vanished and was replaced with a wide, cheery smile. She resumed walking down the path, leaving Bruce in shock, his eyes wide.

_What just happened?_

"My turn for another question!" She called as he got his wits back and caught up to her.

"You know what, it's getting late. Maybe we should head back." Without thinking he asked, "How does dinner sound?"

Misty spun around again, still wearing a smile. "Dinner sounds great! Race you to the car?"

* * *

><p>After beating Bruce to his car, Misty finally got to drive. It had been agreed that she would be dropped off at her hotel to get ready, and when she asked what she should wear, she only got "I'll handle it" as an answer.<p>

As she entered her room alone, her fake smile quickly fell from her face, and panic settled in. She honestly had no idea what had happened at the park. All she knew was that one minute she was talking about her bitch of a mother, and the next she was snarling in the face of Bruce Wayne. It hadn't taken long to control herself, but the experience still scared her.

_What the hell happened?_

She tried not to dwell on it too much as she got ready. Not knowing what she'd be wearing for the evening, she had to try to cover up her bruised shoulder, especially after the close call at the lake.

After taking her second shower of the day, Misty donned a silk robe as she proceeded to artfully pull the sides of her dark brown hair up and pinning it to the back if her head with a silver, gem studded clip. Her bangs slid down her forehead at an angle, shadowing the very corner of her right eye. The rest gracefully traveled to the middle of her back, curling naturally at the ends.

She tactfully put on some light makeup, surprisingly feeling a bit nervous about dinner, and finally took a look at her shoulder. The bruise was, thankfully, not as dark as Misty thought it would be, but it was definitely noticeable. It mostly covered the back, as that's where it had hit the truck, but it also made its way to the top of her shoulder. In a couple of days it would be gone, but for tonight, she had to turn to some of the most expensive makeup she had ever purchased.

As she slowly and carefully applied it, Misty thought about all the times she had had to use the cover-up. It had saved her ass many times and kept her co-workers from getting the wrong idea about her nightly activities. But even though it was risky, Misty wouldn't give them up that easily.

_I just hope it doesn't rain tonight._

Just as she added the finishing touches, there was a knock at the door. Opening it revealed a woman holding a garment bag in one hand and a shoebox in the other.

"Ms. Matthews," she nodded in greeting. "These are from Mr. Wayne." Her smile suggested that she saw this kind of thing often, but Misty ignored it in favor of finding what Bruce had gotten her.

After the woman placed the items on her bed and left, Misty took the lid off of the box, and unzipped the bag. A slow smile crept on her lips as she took it all in.

* * *

><p>Dim candles gave the five-star restaurant a warm glow as Bruce sat across from his date for the night.<p>

He had to admit, he chose well…on the dress not the date…though his date was far from a bad choice.

When he had picked Misty up from her hotel, he found her waiting in the lobby. At first, he only saw her from behind. His dark eyes saw her thick, luxurious head of silky dark hair falling down to the middle of her back. As his eyes traveled down, he saw the flawless, tan skin of her shoulders until it met a rich, dark Mediterranean blue color. Before he could look any longer, she turned and smirked at him, but he didn't smile back—he was too engrossed with taking her goddess-like figure in. The dress he had chosen for her fitted her body to a tee, hugging the dramatic curve of her hips and her slim waist-line. The heart shaped neckline dipped low enough to satisfy him, while making her look classy, but deadly sexy at the same time. The dress stopped mid-thigh, and her muscular legs were enhanced by 6 inch silver heels, the jewels glittering in the dim light of the lobby. His eyes flashed to her face, and he finally gave her a small smirk while he looked at her striking eyes and blood red lips.

"You have good taste," she had said, and Bruce could do nothing but continue smirking and agree wholeheartedly.

Now as he watched Misty take a sip of one of the finest wines, he could completely forget about what happened at the park. Especially when she looked up at him and flashed her signature smirk.

"I never got to ask my next question."

Bruce gave a small laugh before saying, "Ask away."

Misty's normal smirk turned into something more devious. "It must be hard work trying to remember all of your girlfriends' names. I mean, you go to bed with who you think is Anna, only to find out that it's really Amanda. Poor you." Her sarcasm did not go unnoticed; her words practically dripped with it.

For a minute Bruce thought that his playboy persona would once again ruin his chances with someone, but after seeing how Misty playfully quirked one eyebrow, he knew that he wasn't in any real trouble.

"That's not really a question, but I'll bite." He paused as if to think. "No, not really. Usually I just stick with 'sweetheart' and 'babe'. That usually keeps them happy."

Misty gave him a knowing look. "No Bruce, I think the reason that they're happy is that they know they'll end up on their backs by the end of the night."

There was a moment of silence before Bruce nodded. "That explains so much…"

At that moment, a waiter came by and sat their meals in front of them. He quickly thanked him before turning his attention back to his date. "If we're going to keep up this game of 20 questions, then I suppose it's my turn."

He received only a nod as Misty had her mouth full of steak. "Hmm… What were you like in high school?"

Misty let out a bark of a laugh. "Pretty much like I am now…a bitch. I broke hearts, got in fights, and on many occasions, stole my friends' boyfriends. Of course I wouldn't do that now. That would be childish. Instead, I find my own."

"What about the fights and the heartbreaks?"

"Those…still happen on occasion." She had the audacity to look away shyly. "Okay, my turn again. How much time a day do you spend perfecting your hair?"

Bruce subconsciously ran his hand through his hair. "You think my hair is perfect," he asked in a joking tone. "I guess my 30 minutes a day have paid off…"

Silky laughter filled the air. "I'm being serious!"

"Then ask a serious question," Bruce laughed back. Seeing how her expression changed and she looked him in the eyes, Bruce prepared himself.

"Have you ever been in love?" He hadn't prepared enough. His thoughts immediately turned to Rachel Dawes, his life-long friend and love. The pain of losing her still haunted him, and for the longest time he thought he wouldn't be able to move on. For months after her death, he hadn't gone out with a single woman, until he had a long talk with Alfred about how she had moved on and it was time for him to do so, too. And it was for reasons like the one sitting in front of him that he was happy that he did move on, but it was still hard.

He took a much needed breath before speaking. "Yes, I have. Rachel, she…she was my best friend. She knew everything about me and more, and for a blissful minute, I thought we would be together." A smile that he had been unaware of faded from his face. "But unfortunately, I lost her before we had the chance to be happy together." Bruce was surprised to see completely understanding in Misty's eyes. Though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer, he asked, "You?"

Though it had been shadowed before, Misty's face now darkened considerably more, but this time it was in sadness not anger. She looked unsure of herself for a moment before straightening her shoulders and putting on a brave face. Bruce had a feeling that she had a lot of practice doing that.

"I had a fiancé. We were in love for a good two and a half years, or at least I was. He left a few months before we were supposed to get married. He said he needed time to 'think'. Whatever _that_ meant. Anyways, I haven't seen him since. I don't think I will, either." She said all this with a nonchalant air that most people would interpret as such, but Bruce knew otherwise. That's why he reached across the table and grasped her hand.

"I am _so _sorry." He whispered. He was glad to see Misty's guard drop for a second as she squeezed his hand back.

"As am I," she returned. Slowly she let go of his hand and sat back in her chair with her smirk back on her face. "I think that's enough questions for one day," she chuckled.

Bruce hesitated for a minute before making up his mind to ask. "Actually, I have one last question." He let his billionaire smile grace his lips when he saw the slightly cautious look on Misty's face. "Will you be my unofficial date to the party next Saturday?"

Confusion flashed across her face. "Party? What party?"

"You mean you don't know?" Misty shook her head making her bangs fall into her eyes. "I'm hosting a party at my penthouse to celebrate the joining of our companies. Most of the big names from both sides are attending…including Mr. Klein. I figured he'd tell you…" Bruce stopped talking when he saw the panicked look in Misty's eyes.

"Walter Klein is coming to Gotham? This Saturday?" Bruce only nodded, afraid to actually speak it. Misty groaned as she put her head in her hands. Just when he was about to ask if she was okay, she sat back up with a wicked smile on her face. "And _you _want _me_to be your 'unofficial date'? What exactly does that mean?"

"Um…" Bruce wasn't exactly sure what was going on in the woman's head, but with that smile still present, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. "Well, seeing as how we are supposed to be working together, it would be unprofessional to show up as a couple—not that we are, mind you—in front of your boss, but since we _are _working together, it would make sense that'd we showed up together…and maybe danced together. Maybe give a toast together. I also figured it would piss off your boss a bit…"

"Bruce Wayne, you have read my mind. Any chance I can get to mess with Walter, I'll take. So yes I would be honored to be your unofficial date to the party next Saturday."

They once again shared a smile. "It's an unofficial date then."

* * *

><p>Walking back to her hotel room with Bruce by her side, Misty felt like she was in a dream. She was never the one to fall head-over-heels for some guy she just met, and that wasn't the case with this situation. But she couldn't help but feel that, even with the mishap at the park, the real world was put on hold for the day. She was even about to forget the real reason she was in Gotham in the first place.<p>

She chuckled a little at the classic scene that they were making with Bruce walking her to her door after their 'date'. He seemed to notice it, too, as he laughed back.

"It's been quite a day, and think, it was only supposed to be brunch…"

"Usually I'm not this easy to persuade, so be prepared to work for it next time," Misty warned playfully, secretly hoping there would be next time.

"I will be," Bruce whispered as he stepped closer to her. Her heart was apparently ready to jump out of her chest and abandon her as he got close enough for her to feel his cool breath on her face. "Goodnight, Misty."

Too focused on the lack of personal space—not that she minded—she didn't notice that Bruce had taken hold of her hand until it was brought in between them and up to his lips. The gesture alone was enough to make a normal girl melt in a puddle at his feet, but luckily for Misty, she wasn't normal and was able to keep herself together…barely.

With one last look, Bruce turned around and began walking back toward the elevator at the end of the hall, but Misty was _not _satisfied. "Oh, for shit's sake!" She determinedly closed the distance between them in a few, short steps and grabbed his left hand. As quickly she could, she yanked on his arm, surprising even herself with her strength, and his body whipped around and stumbled forward, almost running into her. Taking her chance, she leaned forward, her lips crashing onto his.

There was only a short hesitation on Bruce's part before his arms found their way around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. Following his lead, Misty wound her arms around his neck, letting her fingers play with the hair at the nape of his neck. A small gasp tried to escape her lips has she felt his fingers gently ghost of the exposed skin of her back at the same time his tongue swept her bottom lip as if to ask for access, which she quickly and wholeheartedly obliged. From then on out, it was a battle for dominance that neither one of them could seem to win or truthfully cared to win.

The feeling was _incredible!_ Misty had definitely not steered clear from men after her crash-and-burn relationship with her fiancé, so it hadn't been too long since she had a good hot n' heavy make out session, but she felt as if she had been missing out on something amazing for years. Of course, Bruce had plenty of experience in this department, but the way his thumbs slightly caressed her back as he held her waist tightly, keeping her body pressed against him, was enough to drive her insane with pleasure. Adrenaline raced through her body, making her lips ravish his even more.

Though it had not been that long, Misty's lungs screamed to her like it had been hours, and she reluctantly pulled away, more than a little breathless. Unable to completely let the moment end, she let her arms rest on his shoulders.

"You better remember _my_ name," she said stern but breathlessly.

"Oh, trust me, I will," came his equally breathless reply.

With that, they parted for the night, both feeling accomplished and a little dreamy.

* * *

><p>Shadow entered the warehouse feeling more than a little annoyed. She had planned on spending the rest of her night reflecting on the day's events, but she had gotten a call just as she sat down to do so.<p>

So here she was, seemingly by herself in a cold, dark warehouse, waiting. Not even the shadows comforted her. It didn't take long for who she was waiting for to show up, and by the way the her hair stood up on the back of her neck she knew he was close…too close.

"_Hello_, Shadow. How, uh, _nice_ to see you again." Hearing a wet sound she could only assume was a tongue running over already wet lips, she sighed and turned around to face the man who had taken just about everything that mattered to her away.

"Hello, Joker."

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p><strong>Again, let me know what you think. Your opinion matters greatly!<strong>

**Love much,**

**Nightangel96 **

**Ps: Review damn it! Please? :)**

_***Edited by midnightwings96***_


	5. Joke's On Me

**A/N: Hello again!**

**I'm extremely excited for three reasons at the moment: **

**1) I got some great reviews for the last chapter! Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read and review. It means bunches!**

**2) Though this chapter is a bit uneventful, the next one is one that my beta (midnightwings96) and I have been talking about for a long time. It's definitely a turning point in the story.**

**3) My amazing best friend (see beta above) decided that she was going to make my dreams come true and draw both Misty and Shadow! I'm not sure how she did it, but she managed to take the exact image from my head and put it on paper. The picture is not ****cooperating the way I want it to so I'm putting the link up on my profile ****(I recommend you take a look at it before reading this. In my opinion it'd be better to know what the characters actually look like). After you read the chapter, if you want to comment about said drawing, you are welcome to do so through reviewing, PMing me (I'll make sure it gets to her), or PMing her.**

**Midnightwings96: thank you, my dear, for being absolutely amazing. I don't know what I'd do without you!**

**Anyway…on with the story!**

* * *

><p>Joke's On Me<p>

"Hello_, Shadow. How, uh, _nice_ to see you again." Hearing a wet sound she could only assume was a tongue running over already wet lips, she sighed and turned around to face the man who had taken just about everything that mattered to her away._

"_Hello, Joker."_

_It was going to be a long night._

* * *

><p>Seeing him so close, Shadow barely managed to hold back a flinch, but she couldn't stop the shudder that went through her. Just the sight of the poor excuse for a clown brought back the memories she tried her best to sweep to the back of her mind.<p>

Expecting grief to strike her, she was surprised to be flooded with anger, disgust, and impatience. It didn't help to see the Joker's already stretched grin widen when he registered her discomfort.

"Long time no, uh, see. How's life been treatin' ya? Better question; how's my Bats?" he said, voice eager.

Tremors ran through her body as she took in the man in front of her. She had only been in his presence once, but after seeing all the reports on him, she had memorized everything about him that she could. His suit made up of green and purple, his slick with grease, green hair, the over done makeup...even his scars, which, if she was being honest, weren't really that bad. But it wasn't all the extra things that he added to himself that made her uneasy; it was the shear presence of him. He oozed danger, and while that usually drew Shadow in like a moth to a flame, with him it made her want to run…or, even more likely, fight.

She was thankfully smart enough to not try anything…at the moment.

"Oh, you mean you don't know? Some stalker you are." Shadow's flippant tone hid her unease.

For a fraction of a second, the Joker's smile dropped to a frown before it returned with a howling laugh. "_You _haven't changed a bit! How long has it been? A, uh, year?" He tapped a purple gloved finger on his lips in a look of contemplation. To Shadow it felt mocking.

_Not nearly long enough. _"A little less." She answered curtly, hoping it would get her out of here faster. After this she was going to have to find someone triple her size to beat senseless. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get to business. I _was_ in the middle of something." _Like dreaming about hot guys and their fast cars._

The Joker made a disapproving sound with his tongue. "Impatient, are we? Oh, well. Let's hear it! Tell me about your encounters with the _Batman._" He clapped his hands like an excited child. The sound echoed hauntingly throughout the building.

The way he said his name made Shadow's skin crawl. A part of her felt that since she was the one doing the work _she _should have rights to the Dark Knight. If anyone was going to make Batman bleed it would be _Shadow._ And only _Shadow_ should have the right to purr his name to mess with his mind. It was her game and her game only. No clowns allowed...besides, she did it better.

Shadow, fighting the urge to speak her mind, told him everything with a bored, slightly annoyed tone, starting with the attack on the parking garage roof and ending with the kick in the shoulder and her theory about how she thought that he would be easy to manipulate. She instantly regretted telling everything in such detail, because once it was all out, the Joker was doubled over in laughter. There were words that were trying to find their way out of his mouth, but they were mercilessly killed by shrieking.

Shadow watched as Joker held his sides and tears came to his eyes. Honestly, she didn't understand what was so funny, but she wasn't going to ask. There _were _questions she wanted answers to, though. "Look, as funny as my story was, there are some things I need to know if I'm going to keep successfully distracting the Batman. For example: _where _and _what _exactly am I supposed to keep him from?"

The laughing finally died down to occasional giggles. "_Well_, uh, Sha_dow_, those are marvelous questions!" She resisted the urge to roll her eyes…just barely. Joker leaned into Shadow's personal space. She could feel his hot, rancid breath on her face when he got close to whisper. "As we speak, my men are setting up some _special _items around the city. It's impera_tive_ that he stays away from these places during setup and the warehouse we'll be setting up the control center at."

"Okay… am I supposed to _guess_ where these buildings are?"

Joker heaved an exasperated sigh. "You really are no fun. But fine, if you can't figure it out on your own, I'll tell you." Ignoring the jab at her intelligence, Shadow paid more attention than she had their whole conversation. She tried to tell herself that she didn't care about Gotham or Batman enough to risk going against the Joker, but deep down she knew that if she had more than a fifty percent chance of being successful, she would find some way to oppose him, which is why she was searching for information.

Not only that, but the knife he absentmindedly pulled from his jacket caught her attention too, making her go on alert. The moonlight reflected off of the blade, illuminating it to show that it was only as thick as a box cutter. That didn't make it any less intimidating. "Keep him away from the taller buildings and the gas stations for tonight and you should be, uh, fine. As for the con_trol _center, it's being set up in warehouse 9 at the old docks. Keep Batsy away from there for next three or so months, or until the plan is in _motion_."

Shadow nodded slowly and decided to ask something she'd wanted to know since she got the first call back in California . "What, exactly, _is_ your plan?"

The giddiness was back with a vengeance. Joker ran forward and grabbed Shadow's shoulders tightly. The knife handle dug into her skin. "Well, as you may know, Shadow, my last little, uh, experi_ment_ didn't work out as I hoped. It was disappointing really, and for a while I wasn't too happy about it. But then, I said to myself, 'Hey self, why don't you do something that will _really_ catch our Batsy's attention?' So after some killing and quiet reflection, I decided what I was going to do. While _you_ keep Bats out of the way, I'm going to…_blow up Gotham City !"_

For a minute, Shadow was stunned into silence. She couldn't believe that someone would do something so insane, but then she remembered who she was talking to. That didn't stop the sinking feeling she got. "_What? _Are you crazy?"

Shadow barely registered the look of rage on the Joker's face before she collided into a wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her lungs. While trying to catch her breath, Shadow was aware of the thin knife at her throat, held there by the Joker who seemed to hold all the anger in the world on his face. "Do _not _call me that!" He's voice was thick and laced with malice.

A normal person would be terrified to see the Joker this way. On a normal day _Shadow_ would be terrified, but like this morning at the park with Bruce, she felt something inside her give, and she was no longer in control of her body.

Her laughter echoed through the room, and even to herself it sounded insane. The puzzled look on Jokers face made her body shake even more, and the knife was pressed to her throat harder in retaliation. "We're _all _a little crazy! But, if you want, I could recommend a good doctor…"

The knife left her throat as Joker backed off. The knowing smirk on his face made Shadow's blood run ice-cold, and she was slowly able to control herself again. "_Yes,_ I'm sure you could…"

There was a thick silence between them while she contemplated what was going on with her. Maybe she really _was_ crazy.

Shadow looked up to see the Joker staring back at her. The smirk still present on his face. "You said you needed me to keep him away for three months? I'm only supposed to be here for a month."

Talking seemed to snap him out of his thoughts. "Then find a reason to stay longer. Either way, if you leave Gotham before I say you can, you will owe me for life. I'm sure you don't want that now, do you?" She shook her head, afraid that if she said anymore she would be stuck here longer. "Good. Now, go distract Bats. We grown ups have work to do."

Shadow turned and aimed her grapple-gun towards the railing of the catwalk over-head. She was about to pull the trigger when the Joker's nasally voice called out, "Oh, and Shadow? Keep in _t_ouch." She turned to see the Joker disappear into the darkness he came from.

She let out a relieved sigh only to remember that she had a job to do. She shot the gun with practiced precision, and for the second time tonight she found herself hoping for big men to take her anger out on.

* * *

><p>Batman watched as yet another thug went down.<p>

Situations like these always seemed to repeat themselves. Track, surprise, beat, wait for the police to show up, disappear into the darkness, take a hot shower. Oh, and then repeat.

It's not that he minded—his night job was all about sacrifices—but it would be nice every once in a while to feel that there was a reason to keep repeating himself. He needed a light at the end of the tunnel or someone—besides Alfred and the people of Gotham —to fight for.

What he really needed was a change, and while change might not always be a good thing, this never-ending cycle left him craving something…craving _more._

The thrill was all but absent now, and he missed it more than he thought he would. He wasn't desperate enough to want the company of say, the Joker, but there was a part of him that needed more than the daily beatings and the multiple supermodels on his arm…he needed a new purpose; motivation.

Taking his body off of autopilot, he was able to see the damage he'd caused. Unconscious bodies littered the floor of the storage garage—why they always picked these locations was beside him—but a new wave of men were once again heading his way, this time in doubled numbers and armed with guns.

The adrenaline that was now pumping through his blood allowed his mind to work faster, telling him that he would not be able to finish this safely. There were too many of them for him to take out in his current position, and even if he could, there was still a chance that bullets would go flying and potentially hit someone with less armor.

He needed a distraction, something to get their minds focused on so he could at least take some of them down.

For once, luck was on his side. Lo and behold, Shadow, of all people, chose that moment to appear behind the group, looking a mixture of satisfied and relieved, if her smile was anything to go by.

"Hiya, boys! Can I join the party?" The sound of her voice caused them all to turn to face her, their guns hovering between being pointed at her and laying by their sides in confusion. It was obvious that after they took her in, all they saw was a beautifully seductive woman in a mask; a beautifully seductive, _non-threatening_ woman. He knew from experience that her looks could be deceiving. If it weren't for his current predicament, he would find it funny.

When Shadow's eyes flickered to him, Batman took that as a sign to attack.

He started with the few closest to him and made his way through the group. While he was focused on a persistent few, he heard the faint click of Shadow's bo-staff being drawn and had to stop himself from turning around to watch her fight. Watching someone fight, he knew, was a way to see into their minds, and he was aching to find out more about the mysterious woman. But instead, he remained fighting until they stopped coming and the floor was an even thicker sea of unconscious bodies.

Hoping that he would get just a glimpse of the woman in action, he turned around…just in time to see the last of the men drop heavily to the ground. With the flick of her wrist, the staff was diminished to a smaller size and put into a pocket on her belt. The satisfied smile she was wearing slowly disappeared when their eyes met. There was an awkward moment of silence where he again felt regret and guilt for the last time they met. By the look on her face, she was thinking about the same night.

"Shadow," he nodded in greeting, not knowing what else to say or do.

She shifted her stance as if she was uncomfortable—not that he blamed her—and gave a quiet "Batman" back. She sounded like a brooding teenager.

More silence. The tension was thicker than molasses, and by the way she looked at him, it was obvious that she was waiting for him to say something. He wasn't stupid; he know exactly what she was expecting, but he couldn't wrap his head around the concept.

Batman surely didn't say, "I'm sorry… about what happened." The words left his mouth before he decided that he was going to say anything. It must have been the more human part of him coming through. Years of being taught manners by a man like Alfred stuck with a person. The fact that he had slipped up would have been unnerving if he hadn't been so tired after spending the day with Misty.

Judging by how the smile slowly crept back onto her lips, it was what she had been wanting to hear. She gave a throaty laugh that sounded extremely close to a purr. "I didn't think you'd actually say it! Points for you, Batman."

"I wasn't aware that we were keeping score." He watched as she made her way towards him, the satisfied smile turning into a mischievous grin. She stopped in front of him, close enough to touch but not uncomfortably so.

"Of course we're keeping score. Life's a game, you _hav_e keep score or you won't know who's won in the end." While trying to think of a response—it took longer than he was proud to say due to his slow-moving mind—he noticed Shadow's change in stance again.

He barely had time to register the fist heading toward his face, but thankfully his body was still alert enough to do the work for him, and he caught her arm before it made contact.

To stop any further attacks, he swung her—hard—against the nearest storage unit. The vibrations echoing through the garage.

Batman expected anger like he had gotten the last time they had fought, but instead he got a leer and, "Oh! The Bats likes it rough!" He felt the pain before he saw what had happened.

Looking down, he saw that the blunt end of a knife in Shadow's grasp had been used to hit his armor. The pain echoing through his leg was enough to send him to the ground with a grunt, though nothing had actually gotten through.

Through the nearly blinding pain, Batman saw her step over him. Her voiced made it through the pounding in his ears. "That's good 'cause so do I…and you're forgiven." Her voice was fading, but that was from the distance she was putting between them, or so he assumed. "Oh, and by the way, as of right now, we're even."

Once he didn't hear her again, he assumed she was gone. He slowly picked himself off the ground, fully intent on going home.

Good news: the cycle was broken.

* * *

><p>Coffee. She needed coffee…desperately.<p>

Even after stopping by two different coffee shops on the way to the Wayne Tower , the only thing Misty managed to accomplish was to fill her bladder. So after a quick trip to the ladies' room—which was immaculate and richly furnished, especially for a restroom—she all but ran to the break room that she had been dragged to the last time she was here.

She didn't notice the stares or the whispers until she took the second sip of, what she now realized was, black coffee. She decided against adding anything to it—she needed the extra strength—instead focusing on the curious women without looking at them.

It was obvious what was coming. In this situation, Misty was the new girl in the school and these women—there were four of them—must have been the popular ones wanting to recruit her. Though the role in school had been reversed for her, she didn't mind the change.

She continued drinking her coffee, waiting for one of them to make their move. By the time she was halfway through with her drink one of them stepped forward clearing her throat.

"You must be Ms. Matthews!" Misty looked up to see a women in her late thirties standing in front of her with her hand out-stretched. She had a natural beauty about her, though her jet black hair definitely wasn't, that made Misty instantly like her.

"Misty." She replied and took a surprisingly firm hand into her own. The woman's eyes shone at her correction.

"Well, Misty, I'm Laura. These are my friends Annabelle, Sasha, and Janice." She let her eyes roam over the group. Two of them—Annabelle and Janice, according to Laura—looked a bit shy but friendly. Sasha, who seemed to be Misty's age, didn't seem to be happy about her presence, if the flip of her dark brown hair was any indication.

Misty didn't let it bother her, as that was usually the first response she got from most women. Instead of provoking her anymore, she smiled at red-headed Annabelle and Janice, who she now recognized.

"Nice to meet you. Aren't you Br- Mr. Wayne's secretary?" Janice smiled at her, completely oblivious of the fact that she had almost referred to her boss in a way that was more personal than professional. By the glare she gave, Sasha didn't miss it.

"That'd be me!" Her cute nervous laugh made Misty grin back.

"So Misty, how do you like Wayne Enterprises? I know you haven't been here that long, but what do you think so far?" Laura seemed to be the mother of the group, being the oldest. The others seemed to flock her, eager to hear Misty's thoughts…except Sasha, who busied her self with spreading cream cheese on a bagel._ Yeah, we're going to get along _so_ well._

"It's interesting. Everyone seems pretty friendly." _Especially your boss, who, last time I saw him without a mask on, had his hands on my ass. _"I could get used to it." Whether she was talking about Wayne Enterprises or Wayne himself was up for debate.

Laura smiled at her; there was a twinkle in her eyes as she asked her next question. "And Mr. Wayne? What do you think about him?"

Annabelle and Janice had matching blushes. "Laura!" they both exclaimed at the same time.

Sasha looked up from her bagel, making hostile eye contact with Misty. "Yeah, Laura, leave the girl alone. She probably has _better_ things to do." It was more of a hint for Misty to get the hell out than anything else.

The coffee was kicking in now, making Misty's tolerance as low as usual. She stayed put and gave Sasha a sickly-sweet smile. "Nope! I'm not busy." As much as she wanted to gloat to the ill looking woman about her day with Bruce—she had a feeling he was the reason Sasha didn't like her—she held it in out of professionalism. It might be too late to try it with Bruce, but she still could keep up appearances. "Um… he seems okay, I guess."

All four women gaped at her. "Okay? He's the most gorgeous man to walk the Earth!"

It was Misty's turn to gape. Annabelle had been quiet the whole time, but now there was an excited look on her face that reminded her of a happy puppy. The others giggled at her, causing a blush as red as her hair to spread across her face.

"Well he is…" she muttered. The group, including Misty, laughed again, and even Sasha smiled a bit.

"Good morning, ladies." All laughing ceased, but it was replaced with flirtatious and shy looks. Even without the way the girls reacted, Misty knew that Bruce had walked in. She tried to tell herself that knowing his voice was _completely _normal, but unfortunately for her, she couldn't say the same about the thrill she felt when she heard it.

"Good morning, Mr. Wayne."

"Good morning, sir."

"Morning!"

"Hey, Bruce."

The girls' greetings mixed together as they had all spoken at the same time, but Misty had yet to turn around and face him or say anything.

"Misty," Bruce said in greeting. Seeing Sasha react to the fact that she had been acknowledged separately and by her first name, Misty couldn't help but flaunt her advantage.

She turned around with mock-fear on her face, hands slightly raised in surrender. "I swear I was not drinking coffee and talking when I should have been working!" She paused and traded fear for calculating. Her hands fell back to her sides. "Okay, I was. So, sue me."

His deep-throated laugh rang through her like bells. Seeing him smile brought back thoughts of the day before, and she forced herself to focused on his navy blue tie instead of looking at the lips that fit oh-so perfectly with hers. "Actually, I was wondering if we could talk…without the involvement lawyers."

_Oh, shit. _Misty's blood ran cold at his words. She couldn't stop her eyes from going to his face, but all she saw there was amusement and the same exhaustion she felt. "Yeah, sure." She kept her voice light for certain listening ears. Turning back to the group, she waved and said, "It was nice to meet you all. See you later, Janice."

They all waved to Bruce and Misty before they walked out of the room.

The walk to Bruce's office was made in silence, apart from the occasional greeting from people in suits and Misty's question of 'are you limping?' that was answered by him claiming he was fine.

By the time they arrived at the doors, Misty was completely on edge. She wasn't sure why she felt the fear she did, but what she did know was that she was having way too much damn fun to let their _acquaintance _end.

Misty walked to the center of the room while Bruce shut the door behind them. He walked passed her and leaned on his desk.

"About last night…" Misty didn't let him getting any further before interrupting him.

Crossing her arms, she said, "I don't know what you're talking about." Even to herself she sounded like a stubborn child.

Bruce's grin did nothing to reassure her. "You didn't have _that _much wine. Are you really such a lightweight?"

She sighed, deciding it was time to stop beating around the bush. "Oh, don't insult me, Bruce. I know exactly what you're talking about, but I refuse to have the 'it can't happen again' conversation. Because you and I both know that it will _indeed_ happen again even if it isn't serious. It's only a matter of time."

That damn grin got wider! Misty was extremely confused. "Actually, I was just wondering if you still had my coat…"

Misty Matthews was not one to blush, but she felt that at this moment her cheeks were a baby-blanket pink. "_Oh_…" Deciding that she didn't like being embarrassed, she tried difficult. "Yeah, I do, but you're not getting it back."

"Why not?"

_Because it smells like you. _She scoffed. "Because you decided to be an ass and make me think that I was going to be subjected to an awkward conversation. Therefore, I'm not going to be nice to you until my caffeine buzz kicks in. And judging by the fact that I'm _still _dead on my feet, that could be a while."

Bruce's bottom lip stuck out in a pout. "Aw, don't be like that!" He pushed himself off of the desk and walk towards her, getting into her personal space. Damn, he smelled good! "I promise we don't have to have any awkward conversations that might bring out your hidden insecurities."

For a minute Misty almost gave in and kissed him, but his statement snapped her out of it. She pushed on his chest, making more space between them. "Go to hell, Bruce."

Turning on the heels of her pumps, she stalked to the door. "That wasn't very nice, Misty." His playful scolding only got him a clear view of her middle finger. "We have a meeting with some of the leaders of the different divisions in thirty minutes, you know."

"Whatever. I'm going to work." It occurred to Misty as she opened the door to his office that she had no idea what she was supposed to be doing at the moment. She decided to pay Janice a visit in favor of going back into the room and talking to 'Bruce the Hot and Infuriating Bastard'.

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><p><strong>AN: If you haven't yet, take a look at the picture. You won't regret it! Again, thank you so much for the reviews! Keep 'em coming!**

**Love much, **

**Nightangel96**

**PS: What was with angsty Batman? I have no clue.**


	6. Party Favors: Part One

**A/N: Yes, it did take a while, but it's finally here! **

**This chapter is one that I have looked forward to for a while now so I'm excited AND a little scared. But I know you'll all be nice and review to tell me how it goes.**

**This is actually a two-part chapter because it ended up being very long. The first part isn't all that eventful, but the next is. Part two should be up in the next few days, but until then, enjoy!**

**Thank you for the lovely reviews, and for my friends that inspired me to write (you know who you are ;) ) **

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><p>Party Favors: Part One<p>

Ten minutes.

That's how long it took for the coffee to finally kick in, which was exactly how long it took for Misty to get over Bruce's teasing. And exactly one minute after that, she sought him out.

He had been surprised to see her walk back through the doors of his office, but not surprised enough to show it on his face. Instead he just greeted her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"The coffee?" He didn't have to elaborate for her to understand.

She gave him a sheepish smile. "Yeah…sorry about earlier. I was just…tired."

He looked down at the files he had no idea why he had at the moment. "No problem. Next time I'll just make sure to get you back earlier. Beauty sleep and all that." When he looked up again Misty was no longer in front of his desk but leaning on its side with her hands braced on it behind her.

The way she was looking over her shoulder at him made his stomach do flips, and of course her signature half smile of hers only added to it. "That's probably for the best. I don't like to stay up late unless I'm getting something _more_ out of it." Her dark eyes flashed with amusement.

The teasing. Oh, how he loved the teasing. This girl was made up with something tougher than nails. She could not only_ take_ other people's crap, but she could also _give_ it right back.

Bruce would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy a woman with a little spunk.

He pushed away from his desk and stood in front of Misty with his arms crossed. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

She looked at him from under her dark lashes before standing and stepping close enough for him to feel her cool breath on his face. "Oh, I don't know. Dessert. A good movie."

He was about to reply when she leaned in even closer, causing his breathing to stop. His lips tingled in anticipation of what was about to come, only to be disappointed with the quick kiss to his nose. "You tease."

"It wasn't a tease; it was a promise." Her voice was deeper and heavier than usual. Something about the way she said it made Bruce believe every word. That didn't mean he liked the thought of waiting for it, though.

There was a silence in which they both stared at each. Bruce could feel the intensity, along with the heated tension, swirling around the room.

It occurred to Bruce that he and Misty were more alike than he initially thought. Like himself, Misty was a doer. She was constantly buzzing with energy, though it wasn't necessarily physical energy; it was just the need to do _something._ They were always working towards their goals, no matter how big or small and were always moving in some way…except when they weren't.

The thing that made them so much like each other and so different from everyone else was that, when they needed to be, they could be completely still. Completely and utterly still as they were now, just staring at each other. Not even the rise and fall of their chests were visible.

Bruce was the first to break, not able to keep his eyes from moving to her full, naturally pink—_no lipstick today_, he observed—lips that he wanted to press against his again so he wouldn't forget how they felt; how they fit and moved so perfectly with his—

He couldn't stop himself for placing one equally quick kiss on her lips, even though he knew that this sort of thing wasn't for the work-place.

Misty was too caught off-guard to mask her shocked expression after being thrown out of their staring contest. "What was that for?" An arched, dark eyebrow rose in question.

Bruce could feel his trademark smirk wanting to grace his face, but he didn't think it was appropriate for the situation. Instead he reached his hand out for Misty to grab. "It was a promise…for later. Come on, we have a meeting to attend."

Misty didn't say a word as they made they're way to the door. On the way out, Bruce had to remember that it wouldn't be professional to walk through the building holding his new co-worker's hand.

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><p>Bruce didn't realize how many men were employed in his office until most of them were ogling at the girl he kinda-sorta had feelings for. Usually this wouldn't have bothered him, seeing as how most of them were men in their fifties, but the others—<p>

Without Lucius to remind him, it was easy to forget what was going on around the place. One thing Bruce forgot, but now remembered because it was causing him tremendous unease, was that there were new interns all over the building. People, not much older than their late twenties—not far at all from Misty's young twenty-six, wanted to try their hand at the business world. As Wayne Enterprises was always supportive of Gotham's people and had plenty of room and work to be done, someone—probably Bruce himself, though he couldn't remember—decided that it would be a good idea to bring the newbies under the company's wing. Whoever decided that was out of their mind.

While Bruce could handle the looks from the older, golf-loving men, the young energetic male interns were another story. No, the stares were okay, it was the flirting that irked him. Though most of them were too shy or afraid to be daring, there were a few that Bruce knew he needed to watch out for. Like this one—

"Hi, I'm Darren Blake. Nice to meet you, Ms. Matthews, and nice to see you again, Mr. Wayne."

Too focused on the fact that _Darren_ was shaking the hand that Bruce had held only but a few minutes ago and that the boy's blue eyes didn't always stay on Misty's _face,_ he was only able to give a curt nod. Misty, on the other hand, was not.

"_Darren_." Did he imagine the purr in her voice? "Nice to meet you…Oh! Would you prefer _Mr. Blake_?" No, he definitely didn't imagine it.

"Darren is perfectly fine…if I'm allowed to call you Misty..?" Bruce felt his hand ball into a tight fist. Just one swing and that kid would be flat on his back—

"Darren it is, then." Bruce was so familiar with Misty's smirk by now that he realized it was a natural response for her, but he found that he didn't like it being directed to anyone else but himself. _Especially_ not this blonde haired, blue eyed boy who could be the poster child for designer clothing. Though Bruce didn't like him, it was obvious that some part of Misty did.

"So, Darren, you must be new here, too. How do you like it?" She flashed a smile at the boy, her pink lips parting to reveal sparkling teeth.

Darren smiled flirtatiously—not that he wasn't before. "It's not bad…and it's getting better every day." The smile they shared made Bruce take a step closer to Misty. She didn't notice. "Speaking of, I have to say that I'm excited about you working with us. I'm sure you'll do great things."

Anger flared through Bruce's body in an instant. _Us? There is no 'us'! Just _me. He really couldn't stop himself from moving right next to Misty. He angled himself in a way that would prevent her from seeing his expression as he gave Darren what he could only describe as his Batman look.

Keeping his tone warm but face cold as ice, he said, "She's a keeper. I'm grateful _I _get the pleasure of working with her."

The message was clear, and Darren understood. There was a moment where he narrowed his pretty boy eyes and glared at Bruce, but it quickly vanished as he caught himself. "You are a lucky man, Mr. Wayne." While his words were harmless, his tone implied something more. But Bruce didn't worry about it; he had already won the battle. "Well, I'll leave you two to your business. I hope to be seeing you again, Misty."

"You too, Darren," she said with a warm smile.

He watched with satisfaction as the young man turned and went to talk to some other businessmen. His victory was short lived when he heard Misty whisper in his ear, "Do you think I'm stupid? I saw what just happened there, Bruce, and it wasn't nice. You scared the poor guy away!"

Bruce turned and leaned down to whisper just as quietly. Though most of the people were busy talking to one another, there was still a chance of someone overhearing, and that wouldn't be good…just yet. "Look at it this way: I'm helping him with his career." When he only got a raised eyebrow in response, he continued. "If I were to have let that continue, he would have been more focused on you than he would have been his work. Now, unless I'm wrong, the only thing _he_ could get out of a relationship with you is heartbreak because he is not your type. So, I was doing him a favor by saving him some pain _and _his career. Besides," he lowered his voice even more, honestly hoping she wouldn't hear over the roar of voices, but unable to keep it in. "I don't like sharing, and we both have promises to keep."

Of course she would hear, though. "Oh, so you're possessive? How did I not know?" They shared another captivating smile, but it was over too quickly, as they had work to do.

Bruce cleared his throat, capturing everyone's attention, and began introducing the woman next to him. He tried to keep the _possessiveness _from his face as he spoke, but judging by Misty's occasional snicker, he failed.

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><p>The week went by quickly for Misty. By the time Friday came around, she was pretty much settled into the company.<p>

It was such a relief to know that instead of waking up in the morning to be hit on by Walter, she got to come to work and be faced with Bruce Wayne. It was a _very _nice change of scenery, but it was short lived.

In a little bit more than twenty-four hours, she would once again see the man that caused about fifty-percent of her overall anger. She wasn't quite sure how she would cope with it, but having Bruce by her side would definitely ease some of the stress that was, no doubt, going to accumulate tremendously by tomorrow night.

Though usually Misty didn't like depending on someone else to help her—she was an independent woman, dammit!—it didn't seem to be the same for her when she was with Bruce. Maybe it was the fact that he was secretly the sworn _protector _of Gotham, or maybe because Misty knew—subconsciously—that he was strong enough to be there for her. Either way, there was no denying the safety she felt when she was near him.

Too bad he wasn't able to protect her from _this_ monster…the green-eyed monster aka Sasha Reid.

Obviously Misty had made herself an enemy just by existing. Passing glares and poorly hidden snorts were the evidences behind the fact. Trying to be civil, Misty did her best all week to keep quiet and only offer a small smile when she felt it was appropriate, but as she stepped into the copy room to fax some documents back to Klein Industries and Sasha rolled her eyes at the sight of her, she felt that it was time to try and settle the petty, school-girl matter.

Walking to fax machine, she flashed a small smile at an intern who was methodically sorting papers at a too small table. A bright blush spread across his cheeks as he smiled, laughing nervously, like a little boy on his first day of kindergarten. When he quickly turned away, the smile and blush still present, Misty continued to the machine that was occupied by Sasha, a sour look evident on her face as she shook her head.

Misty took a deep breath before letting it out, the "hi," mixing in with the air dispelled from her lungs. Again she got an eye roll in response.

_This is not going to be easy._ Misty held back her usual snark and tried again. "So, I haven't seen you all week. How have you been?"

Okay, so small talk was not her forte! The awkwardness she felt was laughable, but she felt that she was already walking on a bridge over a swamp of crocodiles, waiting to devour her, so she kept her opinions to herself. Usually she wouldn't have cared, but in order to stay here, she needed to be able to work with the others in harmony. It didn't look like Sasha cared though…

"Why are you talking to me?" Sasha was facing her now; every hint of irritation in her voice displayed on her face.

Misty kept her expression friendly, even though something in her was yelling at her to put this bitch in her place. It sounded suspiciously like Shadow. Misty sighed again. "Look, I'm not stupid." An evil smile made its way on Sasha's face; Misty ignored it. "I know you don't like me, but I think it's best for both of us if we put our differences aside. Think you can do that?" She let a bit of (false) hope seep into her voice for Sasha's benefit.

With a grimace, Sasha slammed down the stack of papers she had been copying and stepped closer to Misty. "Look _Misty_, I don't want to be your friend, nor do I care for your stupid sweet-girl act. If you think you can just come in here and take over my office, you're poorly mistaken. This is my home, my job, my friends, and _my _boss. Bruce might not be able to see it now, but _I _know just the type of girl you are."

Misty did not like where this was going, and she felt her control slipping. It showed in the tightness of her voice. "Oh? And what might that be?"

Cruel; that was the only way to describe how Sasha looked at that moment, but it was nothing compared to what Misty could do. And she was about to have to show this girl how it was done if things kept going in this direction. "The first thing you did when you got here was attach yourself to Bruce. I watched that day you got here; how hard you were trying to get his attention. Laura and the others say that you might be a good challenge for him because of your attitude, someone to level him out. But I know otherwise. You're nothing but a gold digger and a slut, sweetie."

Slut. That one little word should not have affected Misty as much as it did. She got it a lot in high school, and even then she couldn't stand it. It was usually the cause for all of the fights she had gotten in. Now that she was older, she had more control over her actions, but not enough that she was able to keep quiet. Screw harmony.

Her face twisted into the most calm and unsettling smile she could manage and stepped closer to Sasha. The calm coldness in her voice was enough to cause a blizzard in the room. "I tried to be nice. I _really _did, but now you've pissed me off. Let's get some things straight. First, my relationship with Bruce is none of your damn business. Whatever has happened, or will happen is between him and me until we decide otherwise. Second, I am, in no way, a gold digger. I have enough money to buy your ass multiple times over. I don't need or want his, nor would I stoop so low to get it. I am _not_ a slut. Not everyone shares your personality traits. Lastly, I will not stand for any more of your bull shit. If I need to, I will be the bitch. You think you're bad? You haven't seen anything yet. Don't fuck with me, _sweetie_. I _will _make you regret it. " Misty took a breath before delivering the last punch. "Oh, and by the way, your bitchiness toward me is completely misdirected. Bruce was the one who wanted _me_. It would be better for everyone involved if you just got over him."

Misty was well aware that the slap was coming by the furious look on Sasha's face. She even had time to think about how sadly predictable she was before her hand shot up and caught the wrist that was rapidly rushing towards Misty's face Once she had a good grip, she pulled the slightly taller woman close to her body. "Do I need to repeat myself? I sincerely hope not."

Sasha struggled in Misty's iron grip before finally giving up and growling out, "Let me go." She did so with a small push toward the copy machine. Picking up the papers she was supposed to be faxing, Misty walked out of the room, but not before noticing Sasha's red and fuming expression and the young intern's gaping mouth as his eyes jumped between the two women.

For a second Misty almost felt regret at her actions, but it was gone before she could really register it. Bruce would understand, and if not, she would _make _him understand. Walking the halls of Wayne Tower to find another copy room, Misty finally let herself laugh at the hilarity of the situation.

* * *

><p>"I heard you got into a bit of an…<em>altercation<em> this afternoon."

She closed the door behind her when she entered Bruce's office. The day had finally come to an end, and Misty had just came in to say bye to Bruce. She wasn't really surprised that he'd want to know about what had happened. Still… "Damn. News travels fast in this place."

Bruce looked up at her for the first time since she entered. Behind the amusement, Misty saw worry in his eyes. "You have no idea. You want to talk about it?"

Taking a seat in front of his desk, Misty sat her coat in her lap and looked up at Bruce. "There's not much to talk about. She pissed me off, I got mad, and I put her in her place. End of story. Done deal. Nothing to worry about."

Expecting an argument, Misty was surprised when he only answered, "okay".

"Okay?"

"Yep. I was just about to leave if you would like walk out with me." How could anyone say no to that smile? That's right, _no one_ _could_.

"I'd love to, Mr. Wayne." Bruce picked up his coat that was resting on the back of his obviously expensive chair and walked over to Misty, his hand out to help her up. When she stood, his elbow was out as if he expected her to loop her arm through his.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Won't someone see?"

"The only other person here that would possibly notice is Janice, and she's bound to find out sometime." Misty rolled her eyes at him, but took his arm anyway. Inside, she was melting with joy over the sweet gesture.

As they walked out of the room, Janice looked up at them only long enough to give them her sweet smile. "Goodnight, you two."

"Goodnight, Janice."

"You're free to go, you know." Apparently, something about the situation was humorous to Bruce. Maybe Janice was a workaholic like Misty.

"Of course, Mr. Wayne." Bruce just laughed as they walked away, and Misty looked back to see the woman roll her eyes as if Bruce was being silly. Definite workaholic.

Even as they reached the elevator, neither one of them made a move to stop touching. Misty found his warmth reassuring in a way she wasn't aware that she needed, but now that she was, she was tempted to snuggle closer.

She used conversation to keep her mind away from the cuddly thoughts. "What time do you want me tomorrow?" Seeing the suggestive look on Bruce's face made her aware of her words. "You _know_ that's not what I meant. What time do you want me _to show up at your house_ tomorrow? Well, manor, but you get it."

Bruce was still laughing a bit when he answered. "5-ish? Before everyone else shows up since you're my unofficial date and all. Is this going to cause problems?"

Misty knew what he was talking about. Walter was sure to have a conniption if he saw the two of them _together_ together. "As long as we aren't making out in front of everyone or like this," she nudged their joined arms, "we should be fine."

Visible shivers ran down her spine as she felt his warm breath on her neck. "I can't make any promises…"

She kept facing forward, trying to keep her balance. "Well, you're going to have to try if you want to be able to keep our _other_ promises." She only got a 'hmm' in response because the elevator door chose to open up to the Wayne parking garage at that moment.

Stepping out, Misty noticed how much cooler it was down here compared to the elevator. She blamed Bruce. But when she heard him clear his throat as if he too had been affected, she blamed it on all of the sexual tension…and boy was there a lot of it.

"Do you have a dress yet? Because if you don't I can—"

Misty laughed and shook her head as she made her way to her rental car. "I'm not a doll, Bruce!"

The sound of his dress shoes echoed through the garage as he followed her. "But you'd make such a pretty little doll. Not to mention fun."

Finding the keys to the car was proving to be a challenge, but she was still focused enough to snort at Bruce. "Yes, I have a dress. No, I will not be your doll. And yes, I will look so hot you won't be able to concentrate on the other attendees." She stopped her search in favor for sticking her tongue out at Bruce…who had her keys in his hand. "Hey! Give 'em back!" She reached her hand out to them only for them to be hidden behind his back.

"You'll have to work for them." That damn smirk! It was still infuriating. Misty decided to go along with it, though.

"Fine," she sighed. She closed the distance between them, but took her time wrapping her arm around his neck. Leaning in, she waited until her lips were hairsbreadth away from his before reaching around him, grabbing the keys, and dashing to the Mustang.

She had the door opened and the car started before he could even react. Misty rolled the window down as she backed out. "See you at '5-ish', boss-man."

Seeing Bruce's smile in the rearview mirror was more than satisfying.

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><p><strong>AN: Part two should be up soon, but while you wait, why don't you tell me how this one went?**

_***edited by midnightwings96***_


	7. Party Favors: Part Two

**A/N: Part Two! **

**Real quickly before you read: if you are uncomfortable with slight 'adult** **situations', then read with caution towards the end. It's nothing too serious, though. Also, I ****DO NOT**** encourage the abuse of alcohol, and while I don't feel that's what's happening here, I just thought I'd get that out there.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews and patience! You guys rock!**

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><p>Party Favors: Part Two<p>

Bruce briskly walked up the carpeted steps to the floor of his bedroom, attempting to keep himself from taking them two at a time.

He forced his mind to focus on the situation at hand.

How could this possibly happen? Misty had, at first, made it very clear that she didn't want anything to do with him, but with persistence, she had agreed—sort of—to go on a date with him. Little did he know that everything would change so quickly…

Truthfully, he should have known it was coming, what with all the events leading up to this moment: the obvious and tension-filled flirting, the first kiss after their date, the kiss before the party, and the copious amounts of alcohol Misty ingested…

Which brought him back to the reason this shouldn't happen at all…at least not now.

Bruce was only half aware of his calloused fingers running out of railing to glide over. Continuing to walk down the hallway, his thoughts continued to race at a much faster speed.

If anything, Bruce could say he learned something about Misty tonight. Stress made her drink. Well, stress in the form of Walter Klein…or maybe this was just a one-time deal. There honestly was no telling, which meant that the only thing he learned was that Misty Matthews was a horny drunk. Then again, maybe this could be the result of repressed desires. He wouldn't be surprised, seeing as how he had been dealing with his own since he first laid eyes on her that day at the office.

He shook his head as if to clear it of his buzzing thoughts. There were only a few things that mattered at the moment. First, _he _was the one following after _her. _He'd thought that, when their relationship got to this stage, and after a nice dinner and some wine, that he would be leading her back to his bedroom, but instead he was being forced—not that he didn't like it—to chase _her_ to his room.

Though that wasn't really a big deal; there was still the part about her being much more than a little buzzed. But that thought was quickly squashed by the logic that said she was an adult and seemed to be in control of her actions.

Also, there was no denying that Bruce wanted it. _A lot_.

His conflict emotions came to a sudden stop when he reached his bedroom door. Knowing who was behind it didn't make this any easier, either. Once more, his mind weighed the options, and when he came to a conclusion, he grabbed the doorknob.

"Well, here goes." He knew what he had to do…at least until he felt a pair of lips attach themselves to his.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Earlier:<strong>_

The drive to the newly rebuilt Wayne Manor was one of nostalgia. As a young girl, Misty had often found herself looking out of the car window, trying to catch a glimpse of the beautiful mansions that decorated the land. She remembered promising herself to, one day, live in one of them or at least one like them.

Now she knew that keeping that promise would not be likely. Not because she couldn't afford to live in such a place, but because she no longer desired to have the 'ideal' life. While her daily life wasn't all that out there, her nightlife was one that most people would not approve of; one that one in particular had not approved of. But now was not the time to dwell on such things.

Right now she needed to focus on getting her nerves to settle and on _not_ focusing on her 'unofficial date', which would be a feat within itself. But at the moment she had a colossal distraction in front of her.

It wasn't mansion, it was a _castle_! The Prince of Gotham lived in a fucking castle! _Go figure._

Misty took her time getting out of her car too astounded to pay attention to anything else…like the fact that she had been running her hand over the wooden doors that were now opening. She was faced with an older gentleman, who looked both stern and caring.

"You must be Ms. Matthews."

Feeling slightly guilty for not showing the class that had been drilled into her mind for as long as she could remember, Misty stood up straight and nodded towards him. "Yes, sir." She noticed the small turn of his lips at the change and couldn't help but feel a little proud.

He nodded back—the smile more prominent on his face—and extended toward the inside. "Please come in, Ms. Matthews. Master Wayne will be down shortly."

As Misty stepped inside, it took a great amount of effort to keep her jaw from dropping. Everything between the marble floors to the high-hung chandelier shone with what she could have sworn was something close to pride.

For a moment, she felt overwhelmed and out of place, remembering that these grounds once belonged to Thomas and Martha Wayne, the same people that—in a way—inspired Misty to take on a double life. She turned back to the door before she could feel the full weight of grief.

"Would I be correct to assume that you are Alfred? Bruce has told me a lot about you." And he had. Starting from their brunch, Bruce had told Misty just how much Alfred had done for him. How much he had been there when he needed him most: as a father, a friend, and teacher. Even with this being the first time meeting him, she already had much respect for him.

"You would be, ma'am." He walked to stand closer to her, and though he still looked as proper as ever, there was a slight mischievous glint in his eyes. "And likewise. I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't hear something new about you, Ms. Matthews. In fact, I've found myself looking forward to breakfast because of it."

Misty was about to comment when a groan sounded from the top of the red carpeted staircase. "Alfred, please don't embarrass me!"

The older man chuckled. "I think you do that to yourself, sir."

Misty found herself unconsciously smiling brightly at Bruce, the apparent fondness making her a bit giddy. By the smile on Bruce's face when he looked at her, he knew what she was feeling.

"You're probably right, Alfred." The eye contact didn't cease until he was standing next to the butler.

Alfred was apparently very observant, because after a moment of silence and more intense staring, he coughed and said, "Right. If you don't mind, sir, there are a few last minute preparations I need to make—"

"No, of course not. I'll keep Misty company."

There were more smiles exchanged and a "very well, sir" from Alfred, and then it was just the two left in the massive room. An old, but nicely kept, grandfather clock startled them both with its chiming, and Misty felt the need to fill the silence.

"Well…it looks like it's 5-ish." Misty let herself bask in his laughter before her hand was grabbed and she was being hauled toward the steps.

* * *

><p>Bruce would have been lying if he said that he hadn't kept his bedroom door open for the sole purpose of hearing when the front door opened. But he wasn't going to say that. He definitely<em> had <em>left his door open, waiting for any sign of Misty's arrival. The sound of voices echoing down the halls—it was amazing how well sound travelled in this place—alerted him to her presence.

Not even bothering to finish dressing, he left his room wearing only his dress pants and undershirt. He had fully intended to greet her with the kind of sarcastic remark that was so common in their relationship, but any words that came to his mind were completely halted when he caught sight of her.

Cobalt blue immediately attracted his gaze. It was almost shocking to see her in such a striking color, but there was no denying that's she looked amazing. The bright fabric tightly wrapped itself around her perfect hourglass body, ruching until it ended mid-thigh, leaving light chiffon to flow down onto the floor. The sweetheart neckline gave him a clear view of her collarbone and directed his gaze towards the river of rhinestones curving down her torso until they ended just above the slit of the skirt. He gave himself a few more seconds to admire her legs, before turning to the conversation that was happening below.

From what he could see, Misty was smiling brightly at Alfred, but as he walked closer to the stairs, the tension was visible in her shoulders and her face. From the slightly messy arrangement of her hair—she had a tendency to run her fingers though it when she was nervous—something was bothering her, and he had a good idea as to what it was. Making his presence known by speaking, Bruce descended the stairs, wanting to make her feel better. However, once their eyes met and at least _some_ of her tension seemed to melt away, he couldn't form a coherent thought past the small conversation—or lack of—they were having.

Before he knew it, he was pulling her up the stairs and leading her to his room.

"Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not that easy."

It took him longer than it should have tounderstand just what she was getting at, but when he did, he tried mending whatever mistake he had made. "What…no! That's not—" She was laughing, a sound that was rang through his room in a way he had never heard before. It made Bruce smile and the mood in the room lighten. "Even if that had been my intention, could you blame me? I mean look at you; you certainly don't need my help dressing."

The usual smirk was back as she stood in a proud pose that gave him a view of the front and back. "Glad you approve. But…maybe it's just me, but that doesn't look like proper party attire."

Bruce looked down, now remembering that he hadn't finished getting ready. "_That's _why I came up here. I'll fix it. Make yourself comfortable."

Standing in front of the full length mirror, he pulled on his dress shirt but watched as Misty plopped down on the bed as if she belonged there. Seeing her there made Bruce's stomach do small flips.

She looked at him through the mirror, humor in her eyes. "Silk or Egyptian cotton?" she asked.

Bruce chuckled, but he couldn't keep the suggestion out of his voice when he said, "there's only one way you'll find out."

"Silk," she nodded. "You seem like a silk kind of guy. Need help there? I'm pretty sure the buttons and the holes should line up." Of course she was right. He had managed to skip just about every other button. When he reached down to fix it, Misty's hands pushed his away. He looked up at her, question in his eyes. "_You _obviously need someone to assist you when you get dressed."

Bruce laughed while he tried to ignore the way her fingertips brushed his chest as she unbuttoned the shirt. "We can't all be as talented as you are, Misty." She rolled her eyes and began buttoning. "How are you feeling? You didn't seem too happy about Walter Klein coming."

The nimble fingers stopped for a brief second before resuming. "Annoyed, worried, pissy…kind of nervous." Bruce had to strain to hear the last part because Misty turned to retrieve his bow-tie. She reached up to wrap it around his neck; the tension was back.

Seeing the usually confident woman like this was unnerving. Of course everyone had things that affected them more than others, weak spots. Apparently, Misty's was a man that couldn't one up her with anything, except for the fact that he owned Klein Industries. Bruce thought it was more about the fear of failure, though. If he had to guess, he'd say that her mother was behind these insecurities. "What are you worried about?" he asked gently.

She heaved a sigh that revealed just about as much tension as her body. "I don't know. I guess I'm just over reacting, but him being here would give him a chance to see all of the opportunities and companies he could get in bed with, meaning I'd find myself back in Cali while he takes over. And on top of that, I just don't like him; he's a creep."

He laughed a bit at the last part as he thought. A small smile adorned her face as she grabbed his jacket. He allowed her to slip it on him while he spoke. "What would you say if I could make sure it's you that stays in Gotham?" He was taking a risk by even saying anything—there was no way to tell if he would be able to convince Mr. Klein that Misty needed to stay if the problem arose—but bribery and the best champagne money could buy could go a long way.

Bruce tried to tell himself that he was offering to make Misty feel better, and not because he felt a need to keep her close.

"I'd say 'no thank you', but I'd be thinking 'thank you. You're amazing. I owe you big time.'"

The light of hope in her dark eyes was enough to make Bruce determined to make sure things were right. "I'll see what I can do."

He reached forward to ease the rest of the anxiety from her shoulders at the same time she gave a small "thank you". She visibly relaxed and leaned into his touch. Her head lolled back as she looked at him through half-lidded eyes. "You know, we never fulfilled our promises, and I'm thinking that this 'unofficial date' thing should have some kind of benefit."

Bruce moved his hands up until they cupped her face. "I think I'm following you." He pulled her in close, breathing in the smell of shampoo and light perfume. He didn't even have to bend down to press his lips to hers thanks to her shoes. It started close-mouth but eventually melted into slow, sensual movements of their lips as they took their time exploring and memorizing the smell, feel, and taste of the other.

Bruce wasn't sure at what point their relationship—when had it become a relationship?—called for the need to comfort the other, but that was exactly what he was doing now as he trailed a large hand down her side and around the small of her back to pull her closer. He was comforting her, making sure that for once, someone would be there for her, instead of abandoning her like her parents and fiancé did. But he also knew that he was seeking and finding comfort in Misty because, at the moment, he was able to forget about the loneliness of Batman and pretend that the only thing he needed to think about was the woman with her arms around his neck, rubbing slow circles with her thumb. A woman that he found he had a connection with, and though part of him knew that they were moving fast and serious, he had a hard time caring because he finally had a beautiful distraction for the not-so-pretty parts of his life.

Bruce tried for as long as he could to ignore the burning in his lungs, but when it became too much, they both separated slowly. Neither of them made the move to lessen the hold on the other, so they just stood there staring until there was a knock on the door.

Reluctantly letting go of Misty, Bruce straightened his suit and called out, "Come in."

Alfred opened the door slightly, enough to poke his head through. "Sir, you guests are arriving, and there is someone waiting for both of you downstairs."

"Thank you, Alfred." The man nodded and left the room. The nervousness was setting back in on Misty's face. He grabbed her hands and pulled her in. "Hey, do you trust me?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "I'm going to go against my better judgment and say yes. Yes I do."

His stomach was doing flips again. "Good. Then just breathe, and try to have some fun. I'll handle the rest." He watched the deep rise and fall of her chest before she nodded, and they headed down to face the crowd.

* * *

><p>The comfort of Bruce's hand was short lived, as the contact had to cease at the bottom of the staircase. They paused at the double doors leading to the ballroom. Misty took the moment to calm herself and retrieve her witty nature. Her game face started to set in along with her signature smirk. Thanks to Bruce's reassurance, her confidence was back and—at least for now—she felt like she could take on the world <em>and<em> Walter.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go in there and knock them dead!" She looked up to see suspicion in Bruce's eyes.

"Though I'm glad you seem to have found yourself again, can I trust you _not_ to get yourself into trouble in there? Because if I have to, I _will _hold your hand the entire time."

"Oh, please, Bruce. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

She didn't answer the question for a reason, and Bruce seemed to catch onto that. But instead of commenting on it he just said, "If you say so," and opened the doors.

They were immediately surrounded by people; some she knew and some she didn't, but they were all smiling and greeting her as if they were long time friends. It was for this reason that Misty was happy she didn't take over her father's business. Fake smiles and their fake owners were not something Misty had patience for.

Out of the corner of her eye, Misty caught sight of familiar dirty blonde hair. She immediately turned to Bruce who seemed to find some kind of hint in her eyes and graciously excused them before leading her away from the crowd.

"You can't avoid him forever, you know," Bruce whispered in her ear.

"I know, but I will for as long as I can."

"Whatever you say. There's someone I want you to meet anyway." With his hand on the small of her back, Bruce led Misty over to a long table, holding an assortment of high-priced appetizers and beverages. Standing at the table was…Of _course_ he was here. He lived in Gotham, but the whole week she had been here, she hadn't seen him once. Misty had assumed that he had been away on business, but other than that, she hadn't given much thought about it. Now she felt guilty for being so self-centered. Overwhelming joy filled her, as well, and her lips turned into something other than a smirk; she grinned.

"Misty, I'd like you to meet—"

"Uncle Fox!" Misty launched herself into Lucius Fox's arms before he had time to fully turn around. With her ear to his chest, his familiar and happy laugh echoed through her head.

"Misty." His deep voice was filled with the love that she had been secretly longing for since the last time she saw him. Had it really been two years? "Looks like my little girl's all grown up."

She lifted her head to look up at him and laugh. "I've been grown up for a while, Uncle Fox."

"Can't you just let an old man dream?" He asked with mock-exasperation.

Bruce's eyes jumped back and forth between the two in shock and confusion. "_Uncle_ Fox? Am I missing something?" Bruce forehead was crinkled with question as he looked between the two of them. "You know each other?"

Misty unwrapped herself from the man—had she really been holding on that tight?—and smiled at Bruce as Lucius explained, "Misty's father and I worked together often when he was in town. From the first time he brought her with him, she attached herself to me and called me Uncle Fox. We've been close ever since…even when she doesn't call to tell me that she's in town." That last bit was aimed at her and she felt more than a little guilty.

"Sorry, but I've been busy. You could have called _me,_ you know."

"Sorry. I've been busy. Business overseas." Misty rolled her eyes but smiled.

Bruce spoke up, sounding like he just made some kind of connection. "This explains _so _much. The sarcasm, the deadly looks. You learned it from _him_!"

"Way to put the pieces together, Bruce."

"Cut me some slack; this is new to me." He was about to say something else when a woman wearing way too much makeup pulled him away, exclaiming "Brucie!" like she hadn't expected to see him at his own party. He waved at them apologetically, before turning around and letting himself be dragged across the room.

Misty turned back around to look at Lucius. "Well, he's an _interesting_ man." Her hinting was as see-through as she intended, and he caught on immediately.

"Misty, you don't want to play this game. It's not safe," he warned.

"I'm not playing any game, Lucius. I came here to do my job; that's it."

"_Which _job?" Misty hated the worry she saw in his face, but if she was going to be staying in Gotham, she needed him to understand at least a little. He got quiet as he said, "I helped you create Shadow to keep you from doing something stupid, like going out without some kind of protection, not so you could do something as reckless as play cat and mouse with Batman." He sighed and looked at her with tired eyes. "How? How did you find out?"

Even to herself she sounded guilty. "Mostly research. I'd been watching Wayne Enterprises for a while. I noticed the inventory was being tampered with, and I figured if you could help me with Shadow, you'd be able to supply Batman with his tools. It would only make sense that the reason he was able to get a hold of his weapons was because he owned the company that made them." When he didn't look reassured, she steered in a different direction. "Look, I have no intention of hurting Bruce. In fact, I kind of like him. I'll do what I have to do and then I'll go. It's as simple as that."

"For everyone's sake, I hope it _will_ be that simple." There was a pause as he looked her over as if to check to make sure she was still together. Misty felt better when his smile came back. "You can't avoid him forever, you know." She didn't even bother to ask what he was talking about.

"You aren't the first person to say that to me."

"Well, then maybe it's a sign." She rolled her eyes causing him to laugh. "Just go get it over with. We'll catch up later."

Misty sighed, knowing he was right. "Fine, I'll go, but I won't like it." She grabbed a glass of champagne, downed it quickly, and headed towards Walter Klein.

* * *

><p>Bruce was able to escape the overly flashy woman just in time to see Misty stalking towards, who he assumed was, Walter Klein. He decided to give her some space, and went to find Lucius, who was also following Misty with his eyes.<p>

"Should we be worried?" he asked when he was within hearing distance.

"Us, no. Mr. Klein, yes."

Bruce saw the fondness in his eyes, and found that he had been wrong before: not _everyone_ had abandoned her. Why he hadn't heard about Misty from Lucius before was a mystery, but he figured that there had to be a good reason behind it. He vowed to find out later. "She's quite the woman, isn't she?" He chuckled when he saw the ugly look Misty gave Walter when he put his arm around her shoulders. If looks could kill, Walter Klein would be dead three times over.

"Yes, quite." Noticing the slight protective note in Lucius's voice, he turned, waiting for the speech that was inevitable. Of course Lucius was smart enough to know that something was going on between the two of them. If he had been in town, he would have probably figured it out before Bruce did. "You do realize that, if you hurt her, I will be forced to take drastic measures, right?"

Bruce nodded. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Good. With that being said," the grin on his face was almost intimidating. "Good luck. You'll definitely be needing it, along with a bottle of aspirin. You have _no_ idea what you're getting yourself into." With that, Lucius shook his head and walked away, chuckling. Bruce had a feeling he should be scared.

* * *

><p>Misty placed the empty glass of champagne on the tray of a passing by waitress, who had supplied Misty with the last three glasses she had downed. She decided that she liked the girl when she gave her a sympathetic look and leaned in to whisper, "I'll try to find you something stronger."<p>

She wasn't sure what was giving her discomfort away—maybe it was the way she tried to get Walter's hand off of the small of her back without him noticing—but she wished the damned man would take the hint. If it were anyone else, Misty would have them laying flat on their backs by now, but she couldn't do that for a number of reasons, the most important being that she'd lose her job.

Which is why she was drinking.

At this point, there was no other way to escape this dreaded moment, and the only way—Misty figured—she could get through it was if she was slightly intoxicated. If only she could get there…It was at times like this that she cursed her high tolerance for alcohol. She didn't counsel the use of alcohol to fix ones problems, not at all, but she felt that she deserved a break after being able to keep herself together all of these years. Besides, Bruce said he would take care of it. Speaking of which…

"Mr. Klein. Ms. Matthews. I hope you're enjoying yourselves. I'm so sorry it's taken so long to find you; I kept getting pulled away." Bruce was looking at Walter, but Misty knew his words were directed at her and instantly felt better about the whole situation.

"No worries, Mr. Wayne. Our Misty here was just getting me caught up on the events of the past week." She could have sworn she had seen Bruce's eye twitch at 'our', but like the gentleman he was, he just reached his hand forward to be shaken. When the hand on her back left its place she stepped forward and turned her body so she was out of reach and closer to Bruce.

He noticed her intentional movement and traded Walter's hand for hers. He gave more of a squeeze than a shake and eyed the glass in her hand, but in favor of commenting, he said, "And what a productive week it has been. Ms. Matthews is quiet the worker."

"Yes, she is. I'm lucky to have her on my team." _I'm not on your team, you dumbass! _Was there some kind of guy code that said claiming that you were a 'lucky man' was also a way of marking their territory? Because if so, Misty was tired of being marked.

_Except by Bruce; he can mark me anytime_…Maybe the drinks were finally taking affect.

"Wayne Enterprises is lucky to have her, also. If she has already gotten this far in such a little time, I'm sure that this partnership will be secure for many years to come." Misty stood quietly, watching the businessman equivalent of a pissing contest. She was impressed with his ability to mask his smartassness with praise.

Walter pursed his lips, unhappy with remembering who had the upper hand. "Yes, well, I'd appreciate hearing of this progress from you, if you think you can pull yourself away from the hungry crowd."

Bruce's laugh was anything but friendly if you knew what to look for, and Misty did. "Yes, of course. I know just the place we can go. This way."

Just as she was about to follow in the direction he was pointing, Walter turned to her, stepping in her way. "Why don't you stay here and mingle, Misty, and let the men talk."

For a moment, she could only stand there in shock, but when his words started to seep in, her hands balled into tight fists and her shoulders squared. Job be damned! This man was _not_ going to talk to her like she was some submissive housewife.

Misty was preparing to speak her mind—possibly with her fists—until she saw the look Bruce was giving her. The slight shake of his head was a warning not to start anything and a reminder of his earlier words about taking care of things. They made strong eye contact for a few challenging seconds before Misty's hands unraveled and her shoulders slumped. "Okay, then. I'm sure I can find _something _to keep me busy."

Just as she spoke the word through tight lips, she heard a voice call out to her. She turned to see Laura and her group—minus Sasha—approaching her. When they reached her, they greeted her and the men behind her in bubbly voices. Bruce took that time to say, "Excuse us, ladies," and left with Walter.

_Well, this sucks._

Laura was saying something to her, but before she could tune into it, Misty's favorite waitress was back, this time with what looked like a glass and bottle of bourbon. "You are officially my favorite person ever."

She took the glass and downed it in one sip. The giggling behind her turned to laughter when she turned to the girls.

Laura nodded her head and exclaimed, "Well okay, then."

Misty just smiled and poured herself another drink.

* * *

><p>Bruce did not like Walter Klein in the slightest. The man was cheap and dirty, not to mention an ass. But without Misty in the room, it was easier for Bruce to be more civilized. He had had a difficult time concentrating on controlling himself in the ballroom because he had been focused on Misty and found himself slipping up in a way that would have been bad for his business and bad for her. But because of his need to protect a damsel in distress, his dislike for the man had been poorly hidden. Misty was no damsel, of course, but she was in distress over Mr. Klein's presence. And that bothered him greatly.<p>

For the better part of an hour, he and Klein sat, talking about business over a few glasses of scotch—on Walter's part. Bruce was just content twirling it in his glass. By the time the older man stood up, he was itching to get back to the other guests—Misty.

"It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Mr. Wayne. Please do not hesitate to call my office if you have any concerns. Though I doubt you will with Misty here." And there it was again. Throughout their entire conversation, the man had found a way to bring Misty into every subject as though he was bragging, but he wasn't bragging like a proud boss. It was more like an arrogant husband showing off his trophy wife. Either way, it made Bruce suspicious in his intentions with the woman, and he made a mental note to check his records.

"Likewise, Mr. Klein." Bruce shook his hand in a firm grasp before ushering him out of the room and towards the ballroom. He watched the man enter the room, but stayed outside himself to talk with Alfred, who was waiting for him outside the doors.

"Mr. Fox wanted me to inform you that he was heading home for the night and would talk with you later about the events of the week."

Bruce responded with a small nod and a "Thank you, Alfred," but kept most of his attention focused across the room where Misty stood, surrounded by many of his employees and business partners. At the moment they were all laughing at something the woman had said, and by the look on her face, she thought it was funny, too.

"I would watch out for her, sir. I think the pressure might have gotten to her." He looked over to see Alfred glancing in the same direction he had been a second ago.

"Why do you say that?"

"If the amount of drinks she has had is anything to go by—"

"She's drunk?" Bruce couldn't tell by the way she was holding herself, as confident as ever, but her mood had seemed to change since he had seen her last. There were also the couple of glasses he had seen in her hand from afar.

"Not enough to be incoherent, no, but enough that she _definitely _shouldn't be driving home on her own." He knew Alfred well enough to know that he was either suggesting that Bruce drive her home or that he place her in one of the many rooms in the house for the night. He decided to leave it up to Misty.

"Thank you, Alfred. I'll take care of it."

"Very well, sir." The man disappeared, leaving Bruce to enter the room alone.

Bruce approached the now dispersing crowd around Misty. He made it to her just in time to hear Walter ask, "Brunch tomorrow, then?"

He tensed, waiting for any sign of discomfort on Misty's part, completely ready to make up some excuse as to why she couldn't make it, but she just laughed as though she had been told a joke and replied, "Tomorrow. Brunch. Got it."

"See you then," Walter confirmed with a hint of triumph. He turned, nearly running into Bruce before nodding and walking towards a group of women.

Bruce turned to Misty to find her staring at him—checking him out—intently. He chuckled a bit at the cute way her eyebrows drew together. "What?"

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with some kind of hidden emotion. "You look…is there any dancing at this party, because I _really_ wantto dance with you."

He really shouldn't find her giddiness humorous, but he couldn't help but laugh a little. "How much have you had to drink?"

Her face turned more serious. "Not a lot. Like I said before: I'm a big girl Bruce; I can handle myself. I know my limits." He had no choice but to believe her because she wasn't even slurring. That didn't mean she _wasn't_ drunk or that he _couldn't _worry about her.

"Fine. I'm going to send these people home, and then I'll figure out whatto do with you."

The sly smile told him to be prepared of whatshe was going to say. "I can think of a few things you can _do _with me…"

Bruce decided to retreat before he got himself into something he wouldn't want to get himself out of.

Catching the attention of Gotham's wealthiest wasn't hard, and keeping their attention was even easier. It amazed Bruce that Gotham's economy laid in the hands of people who could so easily be distracted by mindless speaking. Mindless on his part, at least. Speaking of the joining of companies and a brighter future for the business his family had started so many years ago was becoming second nature to him. It was sad that something that should mean so much to him held little significance. It wasn't that he didn't care about Wayne Enterprises, not at all; it was just that he chose to carry out his father's legacy in a way that would have more impact on Gotham. Because of Batman, Bruce Wayne had become a cover-up, something to hide behind, but it was just another sacrifice he made to keep the city his parents cared so much for together.

He watched as the people he spent his nights protecting walk out of the recreation of his parent's home with satisfied smiles. One by one they left, leaving behind kind, expected words in their wake. It was a relief to close the door behind the last of them.

The hand on his arm almost caused him to jump. "Why do you do it?"

He turned to face a somber looking Misty. "Do what?"

She looped her arm through his in a way that felt more than natural. "You know, it might not seem like it sometimes, but I _am_ more observant than the women that were throwing themselves at you tonight." She paused, and began aimlessly walking through the manor, Bruce by her side. "I can tell that you're not completely happy. My question is: if this life makes you unhappy, why lead it this way?"

Bruce's chest tightened. He wasn't sure that he was ready to talk about this with anyone outside of his Batman life, but he found himself speaking anyway. "It's what my parents would have wanted. They loved this city. It was their goal to make it into what they envisioned; something spectacular. Unfortunately, they didn't live long enough to see that happen, so it's my job. It's what they would have wanted," he repeated.

"Are you sure about that?" There was a seriousness in Misty's voice that made Bruce face her. He briefly wondered when they had gotten into the dining room but dismissed it in favor of listening to her speak. "Bruce, I didn't know your parents personally, but from the way you have talked about them, I highly doubt that they would put a city before their son's happiness. My guess is that if they were here now, they would tell you the same thing I'm about to." If it was even possible, she looked deeper into his eyes. "You're a good man—great in fact. You deserve happiness, and even if you were happy playing the heir to the Wayne thrown, you can't turn Gotham around by yourself without getting hurt. Your life is just as meaningful as the rest of the city's. Don't throw it away just because you think it's expected of you because, at the end of the day, the people that matter aren't the ones that expect, it's the ones that stick with you even when they know you aren't making the best choices."

It was unbelievably hard to believe that Gotham's safety wasn't more important than Bruce's. It went against everything he had told himself when he decided to become Batman, but there was a truth in the way she spoke—like she believed every word she had said—that made Bruce cup her face and kiss her like their lives depended on it.

As always, her reaction was instantaneous as if they had spent years perfecting this art. The way her arms snaked up around his neck, the press of her body against his, her soft lips parting allowing him to get closer, to taste…

Bruce had told himself that he was going to take it slow, that nothing could happen between them right now, but it was hard to think when he could feel the silkiness of her skin under his rough hands. He let them slide from her face, down the trail of rhinestones that lead to her hips. The controlled moan when the kiss deepened vibrated from her lips to his in a way that made them tingle, and made him press her body against the side of the table.

There was a leg around his waist pulling him in closer, but it wasn't close enough. He needed more…and so did Misty, apparently, as she laid back on the table, pulling Bruce down with her. He couldn't stop the growl from leaving his throat as he placed wet kisses on the side of her neck.

Misty's nimble fingers worked to untie the perfect bow she had made with his bow-tie only hours before. The triumphant sound she made when she got it off was quickly drowned out by the loud gasp she gave when he ran his teeth over her collarbone. She arched her neck, silently asking for more, which he gladly gave as his fingers worked to find the zipper of her gorgeous dress that had to come off _now._

They found their destination quickly and began to tug as Misty arched off of the table to give him more access. "Bruce..."

And just like that, that one whispered word—his name—snapped him out of the foggy haze that had been his mind. His fingers left the zipper, and he sat up quickly, gently tugging against the hold she had on him. "We—we can't, Misty." There was no mistaking the pain and struggle in his voice.

Misty sat up, her eyes glazed over with lust but eyebrows drawn in confusion. Her thoroughly kissed lips turned down in a frown. "Why not?"

Bruce meant to laugh at the cute annoyance in her voice, but it came out as a frustrated sigh as he ran his hand over his face. This was much harder than it should have been. "Because you and I both know that you've had way too much to drink tonight to make this kind of decision." The confusion faded into anger, and Bruce decided it was time to do pre-damage control. He stepped forward and cradled her face in his hands. "It's not that I don't want to, because I _really_ do, but it can't be now."

The puff of breath she let out brushed over his wrist. He felt relief when she smiled brightly at him. She curled her fingers around his to peel his hands off and pin them to his sides. Gracefully hopping off of the table, she kept one hand on his arm for balance as she took off her shoes. "Tell you what, Bruce; to make you feel better, I will go up to your room—giving myself time to _reflect_ on the possibilities of tonight—and if I haven't changed my mind by the time I get up there, we continue. Okay? Okay."

She didn't even give him time to react before she gave him a sly smile and ran out of the room. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do about her yet, but he found himself walking—quickly—out of the room.

He heard faint giggles drifting down from upstairs. Shaking his head, a small smile on his lips, he began to mount the stairs.

Bruce walked up the carpeted steps to the floor of his bedroom, trying to keep himself from taking them two at a time.

He forced his mind to focus on the situation at hand.

How could this possibly happen? Misty had, at first, made it very clear that she didn't want anything to do with him, but with persistence, she had agreed—sort of—to go on a date with him. Little did he know that everything would change so quickly…

Truthfully, he should have known, what with all the events leading up to this moment: the obvious and tension-filled flirting, the first kiss after their date, the kiss before the party, the copious amounts of alcohol Misty ingested…

Which brought him back to the reason this shouldn't happen at all…at least not now.

Bruce was only half aware of his calloused fingers running out of railing to glide over. Continuing to walk down the hallway, his thoughts continued to race at a much faster speed.

If anything, Bruce could say he learned something about Misty tonight. Stress made her drink. Well, stress in the form of Walter Klein…or maybe this was just a one time deal. There honestly was no telling, which meant that the only thing he learned was that Misty Matthews was a horny drunk. Then again, maybe this could be the result of repressed desires. He wouldn't be surprised, seeing as how he had been dealing with his own since he first laid eyes on her that day at the office.

He shook his head as if to clear it of his buzzing thoughts. There were only a few things that mattered at the moment. First, _he _was the one following after _her. _He'd thought that, when their relationship got to this stage, and after a nice dinner and some wine, that he would be leading her back to his bedroom, but instead he was being forced—not that he didn't like it—to chase _her_ to his room.

Though that wasn't really a big deal; there was still the part about her being much more than a little buzzed. But that thought was quickly squashed by the logic that said she was an adult and seemed to be in control of her actions.

Also, there was no denying that Bruce wanted it. _A lot_.

His conflict emotions came to a sudden stop when he reached his bedroom door. Knowing who was behind it didn't make this any easier. Once more, his mind weighed the options, and when he came to a conclusion, he grabbed the doorknob.

"Well, here goes." He knew what he had to do…at least until he felt a pair of lips attach themselves to his.

This kiss was hungrier than the first few and filled with such yearning that all Bruce could do was push the door closed with his foot and kiss back. They broke apart, panting. "I didn't change my mind."

Bruce laughed breathlessly. "I can see that."

"So..?"

The way she scraped his scalp with her nails was extremely distracting. "So, what?"

She sighed against his face causing him to close his eyes and press against the fingers in his hair. "So, are you convinced I'm in my right mind? Can we continue uninterrupted?"

He looked at her through lidded eyes. "You're giving me a choice now?"

"Takes two to tango properly. I like to do things the way they're supposed to be done."

Deciding there should be more action, Bruce pulled her closer and started working on her zipper again. He actually got it off this time. They both looked down to see the blue pool at her feet. "Well, lucky for you, I like to tango." Lucky for _him _Misty didn't seem to notice how stupid that comment sounded.

Instead she pulled away from his grasp. "Do you tango a lot, Bruce? You know, I'm not feeling really special at the moment; I think I should leave…" The challenge was clear, and what kind of man would he be if he didn't fight back?

"Oh, no, you don't." He charged forward, grabbed Misty, and threw her on the bed. Before she could get up, he was on top of her kissing whatever skin he could reach.

It didn't take long for her to get bored with not being able to touch and tease back. She had him on his back before he knew to expect it.

Bruce looked up at the woman straddling his hips, a triumphant smile brightening up the dark room. "Is this going to be a problem?" He emphasized _this_ by bucking his hips.

"I don't know. We'll see, won't we?" He was going to argue more, but Misty had an interesting way of removing other's clothing that involved her teeth. And honestly, he didn't really care who was on top, just as long as she kept doing _that_.

In retrospect, Bruce hadn't spent much time with his unofficial date, but what they missed in time, they made up with persistence...over and over.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I will now take the time to warn you about drinking: always be responsible in situations involving alcohol. It may lead to you ending up in bed with a rich man who dresses up as a bat at night. Wait…put that drink down! *grins mischievously* ;)**

**How about reviewing? You all did so wonderfully before. :)**

***edited by midnightwings96***


	8. Morning After Dark

**A/N: Welcome back!**

**There's not really much for me to say at the moment except: thank you to all of the people who inspire me to write (reviewers and friends). You rock!**

**Oh, and yes the chapter title comes from a Timbaland song; one which states, "when the cats come out the bats come out to play." I thought it was fitting. And no, I do not own Timbaland or the song or anything like that, blah blah blah…**

**On with the chapter :)**

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><p>Morning After Dark<p>

The morning sun warmed Misty's bare back. Even only half awake, she could enjoy the warmth of it, the body she was tangled up with, and the contrasting coolness of the silk sheets on her naked skin. In the moments it took for her to waken, she was blissfully unaware of the strangeness of the situation, but the first thought that came to mind when her brain became more focused than her senses was that her hotel room did _not _have silk.

Her body tensed and eyes snapped open to see the perfect chest of the body she was laying on. The equally _naked _body of Bruce Wayne.

"Oh, shit," she mumbled to herself. _Way to go Misty, you managed to get yourself drunk in front of _both _of your bosses and sleep with one of them all in one night! This must be some kind of record. _Her mental chiding came to an end as she sat up and looked at the gorgeous, sleeping man next to her_. _His messy dark locks were covering half of his face, and his equally dark lashes lay on his cheeks, making him look peaceful. The only thing contradicting his seemingly restful sleep was his tense body. Misty chalked it down as partof his training he must have gone through to become Batman. If she had to guess, though, she would say that it was the closest thing he could get to a deep sleep.

Not wanting to bother waking him, Misty glanced over at the digital clock on the bedside table, hoping to sneak out without attracting unwanted attention to herself.

_10:49_

"Oh, _shit!" _In her foggy morning-after haze, she had managed to forget about her brunch with Walter that was set for 11:30.

Misty was out ofthe comfortable bed before Bruce could fully open his eyes. She frantically scrambled around the room to find her clothes that were scattered all around. "Well, good morning to you, too, Misty."

She stopped her search for her underwear long enough to look up at a smug looking Bruce. "I'm late!"

The crooked smile vanished from his face. "Late for what?" He asked cautiously, his body more tense than it had been in his sleep.

"Brunch," her voice practically squeaked with panic.

"Oh." He visibly relaxed and the smirk was back. "You know, I've never had a woman get out of my bed so fast. It's almost insulting."

Misty grabbed the closest thing she could find and threw it at him. He caught the heeled shoe with ease. "Excuse me for being worried about my job. Unlike you, there _are_ people who have to work for their money. Which is impossible if I _don't have a job!_" She stopped her search and stomped into the bathroom. She closed the door with enough force to cause the walls to shake.

Even through the door she could hear Bruce laughing. "There's no need to slam doors, Misty. I don't think it's its fault you're late."

She swung the door open to look at him. "Fuck you!"

Bruce's eyes shone with mirth. "I would _love _that, but I think you're late."

Misty didn't bother replying to that since she _was_ in fact late and needed to get ready quickly if she was going to make it to the restaurant on time. Glancing in the mirror at her makeup that screamed 'I just woke up from a night of hot sex,' she remembered that she had forgotten her makeup bag on the counter in her hotel room, and her extra pair of clothes she usually left in her car for emergencies were at the dry-cleaners…in California.

After quickly tugging a comb through her hair, Misty went back to the room and picked up her dress. She stared at it for a minute trying to find a way to make it _not _obvious that she hadn't gone back to her hotel room last night.

Misty sighed as she grieved for her beautiful dress she was about to destroy. Swallowing, she turned to Bruce, who was settled into a mountain of pillows. "Do you have a pair of scissors I could borrow?"

He gave her a questioning look before opening the drawer next to his bed. His hand emerged with a sharp pair of scissors. She laid the dress flat on the end of the bed and took the tool offered to her. With one last sigh, Misty grabbed the chiffon and began cutting where it met with the ruching. The fabric separated easily and left the dress to meet at mid-thigh.

"That…looked expensive."

Sounding close to tears, Misty mumbled, "It was" and walked over to Bruce, silently asking for help zipping up. His fingers swept over her back in a way she was sure was unnecessary, but she didn't comment on it.

When it was done, she turned and looked down at Bruce expectantly, her hand held out. "What?" His voice was full of innocence, but the way his lips twitched gave him away.

"You _know_ what, Bruce. Give me back my underwear." He made no other move besides quirking an eyebrow. "I _really _don't have time for this. I guess I'll be sitting at brunch with Walter _without _them."

"You're no fun." He held the cloth out to her, and she quickly slipped them on. She sat down on the bed next to Bruce and began working on her shoes. "Can you blame me for wanting a souvenir?"

His words seemed teasing on the surface, but Misty could hear the hint of brooding. She stood and adjusted her dress before looking at him. "People usually get souvenirs when they aren't visiting a place for a while or when they want to remember an experience. _You _don't need one because I won't let you forget. Next time—hopefully soon—I'll make sure I wake you up _properly._ I promise." She gave him a charming smile before leaning down and kissing him deeply.

When they broke apart, the clock read 11:10. Misty practically ran out of the room, tossing an "I'll talk to you later" over her shoulder.

* * *

><p>Bruce watched as Misty left, feeling a mixture of sadness and smugness. If he could have had it his way, they would have spent the better part of the morning in bed together. But he <em>couldn't<em> have it his way, and Misty had _promised_ that there was no need for souvenirs because they would get a chance to explore everything they hadn't been able to cover last night. It almost made him feel bad for deceiving her.

He looked down at the earrings she had worn last night, and thought about the way they had shone in the moonlight that had managed to peak through his curtains.

No, he decided with a smile, he didn't feel bad at all.

* * *

><p>She took the stairs two at a time and almost made it to the front door when Alfred's voice came from behind her, causing her to freeze mid-step. "I would feel much better if you had something on your stomach before you got on the road."<p>

Misty turned, wide-eyed to look at the old butler holding a large muffin in his hand. She tried to tell herself that she was a grown woman and that it was silly to feel like she was a teenager that had just been caught trying to sneak out of her boyfriend's house. It didn't work. "I—"

Alfred's frail looking hand waved her silent. "What happens between you and Master Bruce is none of my business. However, if it was, I would say that I was very happy that it's you. Now, take this and go. You look like you're late." His kind smile made Misty immediately relax.

Misty took the offering gratefully. "Thank you, Alfred." He nodded to her and walked her through the door. As she pulled out of the Wayne driving lot, she couldn't help but feel excitement about the next time she would get to see the manor and its residents.

* * *

><p>It was ironic that Walter just happened to make reservations at the same restaurant that Bruce and Misty had had brunch in. It was also nerve racking to see that the employees seemed to remember her. Luckily, no one made a move to acknowledge her passed cheerful smiles and waves, and she made it to the table Walter was seated at without incident.<p>

The same waiter that had served her the last time placed a menu in front of her and left to get her drink. She looked up to see Walter eyeing her. Uncomfortable chills ran up her spine.

"Is that the dress you wore last night?"

Two thoughts ran simultaneously through her brain. The first was _Good morning to you too, asshole, _and the second was _well shit_. Of course the usually unobservant man had chosen this moment to actually pay attention to something other than her breasts…on the other hand, the reason why he remembered the dress was probably because he _had _been staring at her breasts.

_Lovely._

She slipped on a happy, innocent smile. "No, of course not. That dress was _much _longer."

He grunted in acknowledgment as he took a sip of coffee.

To be honest, Misty had no idea what she was doing here or why she had agree to it in the first place. Sure she hadn't been exactly in her right mind last night, but she thought she would still be smart enough to turn down any kind of meeting with this man.

Guess not.

Unlike with Bruce, the silence between the two was extremely awkward, and Misty found herself mindlessly picking at a loose thread on the table cloth. The only sounds she could hear was the murmur of the other customers and the flip of the newspaper Walter was reading.

After finishing her first glass of orange juice and a few more minutes of silence, Misty worked up the courage to say something, because as much as she hated conversing with the man, it was better than this. "So…how are things back at the office? Everything still going smoothly?"

Mr. Klein slowly tore his eyes away from the Gotham news to look at her. "Fine. Everything is fine."

"Are you sure? No calls I need to make or papers I need to look over?"

He shook his head. "Nope. None."

Misty sighed, trying to keep herself under control. She gave an exasperated laugh. "Then, with all due respect, why am I here?"

He finally put the paper that he occasionally glanced at aside and leaned closer to her with his elbows on the table. She gave her best attempt to return his smile. "Because I've missed you, Misty."

Water didn't see her smile falter because the server placed their food in front of them. He began eating before the plate could be properly set on the table. She watched with disgust as he devoured his food, still trying not to grab her knife and stab him through the leg.

She felt a lingering presence by her side and looked up to see the young waiter looking at her like he had something to say. Misty gave him an encouraging smile—anything would be better than watching Walter demolish his food—hoping he would speak.

"I see you didn't bring Mr. Wayne today. It's a shame. You two seemed to have had so much fun when you were here." His cheerful smile vanished immediately when he took in the look Misty gave him. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Walter.

"You were here with Wayne?" He didn't sound pleased.

The server quickly excused himself, his eyes wider than should be possible.

Misty turned to see Walter staring at her in disapproval. It was getting increasingly hard to keep her anger in check. She found herself wishing that Bruce was here to keep her from jumping at her boss's throat.

"Yes, Mr. Wayne, and I _did_ come here last week…to talk about business." That was a complete lie, but Misty couldn't care less. The displeased look did not go away, and neither did her anger. "Is that a problem? Because I'm pretty sure that the whole point of me being here was to create a connection to boost the Industry. Correct me if I'm wrong, and all of my years spent socializing with others has mislead me, but isn't communicating required to work with someone? If not then I don't know what the hell I'm doing."

Walter seemed a bit taken back at her outburst. "No, of course I would want you to do your job. I just wasn't aware that it was necessary to go out to eat with him to accomplish this." There was a pause as he took in Misty's unhappy expression. "What I'm trying to get at is that I don't want your judgment to get clouded by you getting close to Mr. Wayne. Our company's success relies greatly on what you do here."

"Why would you think that I would let something like that happen? There isn't _anything_ going on between Mr. Wayne and I." _Anything you need to know about._

He looked at her, his face set in sympathy but his eyes betraying his actual motives. "Maybe not, but Misty, Mr. Wayne hasn't done much to hide his view on women. They are nothing but toys to him. I worry about you because, even though I know you're strong, I can still tell you're hurting from…well, you know."

She did know, and the fact that he thought he had the right to bring up her failed relationship—the same one he made clear he hadn't approved of—almost made this too much to handle. Unable to make eye contact anymore, Misty let her head hang, eyes pointed at the food on her plate but completely unseeing.

Her emotions were jumbled and more tangled than her hair the time she had gotten a mouth-full of gum stuck in it as a kid. This went _well_ past trying to keep her anger in check; now she was just trying not to lose herself. It was as if she was slipping, or being pushed aside to the back of her mind. All she knew was that she couldn't let it happen here, in a room full of people. Trying to stay grounded, Misty attempted to focus on ceasing the trembling in her hands by grabbing onto the closest object she could find, while Walter continued to chatter, unaware of her inner struggle.

"I would hate if you were to be taken advantage of. You deserve better than that, and you can _get_ better than that. He may be a good business partner, but I have a feeling he isn't all he appears to be. He's hiding something, Misty. I just know it. So, be careful alright?"

The trembling stopped. Slowly Misty lifted her head, not bothering to move her hair out of her face, and fixed a stony gaze on Walter. "Oh, don't worry; I've got it all under control."

He seemed pleased with her reply and went back to eating, completely unaware of just how close he had been to harm. With a tired sigh, Misty placed the knife back on the table as far away as she could without being suspicious, and thanked any and every god that was listening that she had been able to fight whatever the hell was wrong with her.

* * *

><p>A knock on the door woke Misty from a light nap.<p>

After saying a non-too-reluctant goodbye to Walter, she had immediately made her way back to the hotel to take a much needed shower. The steady cadence of hot water eased the deep-set tension in her body, replacing it with drowsiness, despite the eight or so hours of sleep she had gotten the previous night in Bruce Wayne's bed. Deciding it would be best not to fight it, she let herself collapse on the large bed, hair still damp and skin smelling of lotion.

Her eyes opened easily, and her legs didn't fight her as she made her way across the room. Opening the door revealed yet another garment bag, behind it the same woman that had delivered the dress Bruce had bought her for their first date. Misty opened the door wide to let her in.

"_Another _gift from Mr. Wayne. Looks like another dress. You're a lucky woman, Ms. Matthews," she said, as she set the bag on the untidy bed.

Misty eyed it suspiciously. "We'll see won't we?"

The woman laughed as she walked back to the door. "Have a good afternoon."

"You, too," she responded absently. There was an envelope on the bag sporting the Wayne Enterprises logo that she snatched up and opened quickly in anticipation. Unfolding the paper exposed perfect cursive handwriting.

_Misty,_ it read.

_I know it's not the same or even close, but I hope you find it to your liking. I look forward to putting it to use…and seeing it on you._

_Bruce_

Misty tried to fight the smile trying to make its way to her lips, but it was a battle she lost. Carefully placing the note on the bed, she reached for the zipper. Black chiffon came into view, along with sequins bright enough to be diamonds. She examined the rest of the dress quickly before reaching for her phone on the bedside table.

Her call was answered on the second ring. "Bruce."

Misty smiled at the simple greeting. "I tell you I'm not a doll, and you go out and buy me a dress. Are you hard of hearing or just incredibly stubborn?"

There was a deep chuckle on the other end. "Both, maybe? I'm not being yelled at so I take it you like it?"

She ran her fingers over her new, most likely expensive dress. There was a softness in her voice that she hadn't heard in a while. "I love it. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Misty. I hope your meeting with Walter didn't go too bad."

Misty snorted. "Let's just say that if I could do it again, I wouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning, _but _on the bright side he's gone."

"What'd you do, kill him?" The words were meant to be joking, but they sent an unpleasant chill down her spine. For the life of her, she could not force the words to her lips; instead they sat in her throat, effectively choking her. "Misty? You there?" There was worry now, and she _had_ to talk.

She cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm here, and _no _I didn't kill him. He's on his way back to California."

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about." There was a pause before he spoke again. "I'd _really _love to ask you to dinner tonight, but unfortunately there is some business I've been neglecting…"

Misty's body dropped heavily to the bed, though she was careful not to ruin the dress. "No worries, Boss-man; I get it. Go get your work done. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Are you sure—"

"Positive."

Bruce sighed loudly into the phone. "Okay, see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah, tomorrow." And then reluctantly, "Bye, Bruce."

"Bye, Misty."

Pulling the phone from her ear, she watched as the call time continued to increase, neither of them making a move to officially end it. Exactly ten seconds later, the phone beeped, and the connection was broken.

Misty let herself fall onto her back and stare at the ceiling, wondering what she was going to do with herself in the hours before she went out into the night.

* * *

><p>This was a first. Batman never thought that <em>he<em> would be actively looking for Shadow, but like he had told Misty on the phone, he had business he needed to take care of. Business he _had_ been neglecting.

It was about time that this _game,_ as the woman called it, ended. It was time for Batman to put an end to their game of tag, no matter how intriguing he thought Shadow was. Her presence had gotten in the way of protecting Gotham, and that was _not _acceptable. So why was it that he was mildly afraid that this would be the last time they met on level terms?

Batman pushed his thoughts aside as he looked down on Gotham. The roof of the Wayne Tower gave him a perfect view as he tried to figure out where the woman might be…if she was even out at all.

His best bet would be wherever there was trouble…which, in a town like Gotham, could be _anywhere_.

Deciding to try his luck, he leapt gracefully from the building, cape expanding to allow him to glide safely to another roof. He moved swiftly from building to building, completely unaware that he was being watched until a shift in the darkness behind him alerted him to the fact.

He let them get closer before he let his leg swing back, aiming for the head. Shadow ducked before it could hit.

"Looks like someone's testy tonight. Hey, that's alright; I can work with it." Her feeble kick from her position was easily caught in Batman's gloved hands, and he used his advantage to push her back, causing her to roll backwards. She used the momentum to push herself into a handstand before she was back on her feet, grinning.

This wasn't how he meant for this to happen. He had secretly hoped that, for once, they'd be able to have a conversation without the distracting skirmishing, but that had been wishful thinking, apparently.

Batman watched as Shadow tensed her body and leapt forward into a somersault, landing herself directly in front of him. She continued the motion with an attempt at bringing her fists down on his neck, but her hands were easily blocked. A series of kicks had her rolling across the rooftop, out of breath.

The only sounds that could be heard were the faint honking of horns and the shallow panting of the two until she spoke up from her position on the roof. "You're holding back, Batman. I don't like it; it's boring. Am I going to have to step up my game?" She sounded scolding, yet playful…as if they were playing a game. To her, they were, and that's what made this so dangerous.

"Shadow—" he was cut off mid-growl by the woman's sigh.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." This time she came at him with her bo-staff in hand, but instead of a weapon, it was used a prop as she performed a sequence of flips and kicks he hadn't seen since his training with the League. They were moves that he had discarded because they hadn't worked with his unique grace, but the way she moved, fluidly and swiftly as if the moves had been fitted to her instead of the other way around, made him see the usefulness of such elegance. It also made his blood run cold with what this could mean.

The familiarity of the techniques stalled the next block he should have put up. He only had enough time to register the boot aimed for his temple and to identify the mistake he had made before it was barely inches from his face. But the kick that surely would have caused damage if not for his mask never connected, and he was left staring at an annoyed looking Shadow. "Are you even paying attention, Bat? Because if not, I'm sure I could find some ways to _make _you."

Batman took advantage of Shadow's vulnerable position by pushing her leg away from his face. "That's enough. We won't do this anymore."

Her face clouded over with deceit. "I have _no _idea what you're talking about. You might want to be a bit more specific. In the mean time…" It took no effort at all for him to grab the staff and swing it into her gut. The air left her lungs in a rush, leaving her breathless and doubled over. Not giving her the chance to recover, he charged forward, effectively knocking them both to the ground. Of course she wasn't giving up without a fight. The woman's agility and still surprising strength allowed her to get the upper hand, landing her on the hero's chest.

Punches were flying towards his face before he had time to recognize Gotham's cloudy skies above him. Several blows—lacking the usual strength he noticed—landed on his cheek and the material of his mask before he made in attempt to put an end to whatever this was.

Shadow pulled her arm back in preparation of a punch aimed directly for his covered nose that would do more damage to her hand than it would to him. Batman allowed himself exactly one second to contemplate the distracted look in her eyes before catching her gloved fist in one of his own. He wasted no time flipping them over—with more force than necessary—so he could pin Shadow's arms by her head and kneel next to her lean body.

"I said _enough!_" When she made no move to struggle, he continued. "This has to stop, and it has to stop _now. _I've played along long enough. Now, my patience is wearing thin. So, I'm going to give you a choice. You can either keep up this _game _of yours that will ultimately land you into the hands of the GPD, or you can stop this and allow me to do my job. The choice is yours, but I know you're not like one of _them._ You may not be innocent, but you're not bad, either. I could use your help and skills to protect this city, but I can't make that decision for you. What will it be?"

Shadow's eyes were closed. In fact, her being as a _whole _was closed off to him and the rest of the world. If he hadn't been holding onto her, it would seem as if her presence was nonexistent. As if she had melted into the darkness.

It wouldn't have been that far of a stretch. All of her characteristics had the tendency to become darker than a moonless sky. The only contrast was her skin that was pale in the moonlight and the whites of her eyes as she opened them again.

"You want my help?" Her voice was barley a whisper in the smog laced air, gruff with an emotion he couldn't quite place.

Batman gave a stiff nod. "If you'd be willing to give it."

"So, what? You want to make some kind of deal? I stop attacking you, and I get what in return?" Bitterness curled her tone. This was obviously a woman in search of something…In _need _of something. It was so clear what she was craving that it almost pained him. Luckily he knew just what she needed, and he was going to give it to her.

"A purpose."

There was a moment of thick—but not uncomfortable—silence before Shadow spoke.

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll help you."

There were still questions Batman wanted answered about his Shadow, but he figured they could wait. For now, he had to get used to the idea of a partner.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed! Let me know by leaving a review :D**

**Nightangel96**

***edited by midnightwings96* **


	9. Dark Surprise

**A/N: Hello!**

**This chapter is kind of a transition (or turning point) for the story. From here on out, the story will be heading in a slightly different direction, but hopefully still to your liking. **

**Thanks for the reviews :D**

**Also, **_**huge**_** thank you to MulishaMaiden for tons of inspiration and betaing for me. You're the best!**

**And here we go… ;)**

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><p>Dark Surprise<p>

Bruce walked into the office feeling oddly refreshed and at ease. Without the burden of worrying about Shadow, he was able to focus on the small things, like how sexy Misty looked in her black slacks.

He approached the woman standing at the coffee machine with a sly smile on his face. With her back to him and the sound of his footsteps nearly nonexistent he leaned in, hot breath ghosting her ear. "Good morning, Ms. Matthews."

She didn't even jump when he spoke, only turned around slowly with a mug in hand. "Good morning to you too, Mr. Wayne." She looked over his shoulder at the door before continuing, "I hope you slept well without me."

Bruce was slightly distracted by her lips—red today—as she blew at the steam rising from her cup. "I was lonely but I did manage to get _some _sleep," he joked. "How about you? Did you toss and turn all night without my comforting presence?"

Misty lowered the cup from her face to give him a contemplative look. "Well, you _are_ comfortable to sleep on, but luckily, my hotel stocks the room with fluffy pillows."

He glared at her devilish smirk. "You are _so_ mean!"

"They didn't call me Bitchy Misty in high school for nothing. But seriously, who slipped happy pills into your breakfast this morning?"

"What? I can't just be in a good mood?"

She gave him a sideways glance as she cleaned out her mug in the sink. "Without being suspicious? No."

"Aw, what's the matter, Misty? You really didn't sleep well without me, did you," he teased. "Would a kiss make it better?" He took a step closer to her just she turned around, effectively pinning her against the counter. "Because honestly, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the last time you kissed me."

It was true. Ever since the goodbye kiss yesterday morning, he had barely been able to focus on anything but that time and the few times before. The sex too. He _definitely _couldn't stop thinking about the sex.

"As much as I'd love to give you something else to think about, I don't think you want someone walking in to see their boss lip locking with the new girl…"

He hadn't thought of that. "Damn it."

"Yeah…it's not like there's a room we could meet in later. You know, like an office or something. It's a shame really…" Her raised eyebrow conveyed any sarcasm that hadn't made it into her words.

"I knew that."

"Sure you did," she laughed. Her hands on his chest reminded Bruce that he still had Misty trapped between him and the counter. He reluctantly backed off and immediately missed the warmth of the little contact they had.

"I guess we should get to work then." He glanced behind his shoulder before leaning in to whisper, "Later, kitten," and walked out of the employee lounge.

The slight lust-induced flush the woman had on her face kept Bruce smirking for the better part of the morning.

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><p>Misty sat gathering all of the files she thought might be useful in the upcoming meeting in a neat pile on the mahogany desk occupying her small office. Having only received the room this morning, she was glad to have her own space, her own desk, and her own rolling chair.<p>

Like this morning, she couldn't resist spinning around and watching the room wiz by in rich browns and the contrasting grey of the Gotham sky. She stopped abruptly and stood to look out of the wall of windows that gave her a wide view of the city.

Far below, she could she the rush of people heading towards their destinations. They hadn't changed since she'd been here with her father. They were still independent, somewhat selfish individuals, completely oblivious to exactly what went on in the city when the lights went out.

Sure they knew of Batman—though his name had been spoiled since the whole ordeal with Harvey Dent—and the countless number of men and women that _should_ be behind bars but weren't because of their corrupted justice system, but unless they went through it themselves, they had no idea how dangerous it was to walk through the Narrows unarmed. Or how many people were being taken out by the mob. The amount of drugs that were being shipped—in and out—in a week.

Misty knew; she knew and yet she still loved it here. Maybe it was her love of dark places—dark people—that attracted her, but whatever it was, it never failed.

There had been a time during her engagement that she had tried to move here to start the new part chapter of her life, but _he _hadn't wanted it. He had said that it was the city of the demented and hardly a place for them—young and aspiring—to start a successful life together. She had backed down so easily, so deeply in love that she honestly hadn't cared that one of her biggest dreams wouldn't come true. All she had cared about was seeing that small, half smile—or, if she was being truthful, the devious smirk she had based hers off of.

Misty pressed her forehead against the cold glass of the window. Light rain began to fall, personifying her drooping emotions.

Remembering him always did this to her, and she knew better than to allow herself to dig up those memories—three years of the closest thing she had been to happy since her father had left her and her mother—because one small thing could trigger all of the others. His words would lead to the sound of his voice which would lead to the lips that smirked in that dark way that made her smirk back, knowing that the thoughts going through his mind weren't always innocent. And what a beautiful mind it was… beautiful and clear like his ice blue eyes, the same eyes that would show her the affection that many people thought was non-existent…

Dry sobs constricted in her throat and lungs, causing her heart to give a painful _thump_ that allowed her to pull herself together. Physical pain she could handle, other forms nearly killed her, especially the emotional pain.

So deep on thought, Misty hadn't heard the door to her office open. The sound of Lucius's voice brought her back to the world where she was no longer looking forward to sharing a name with the man she loved…no longer _in_ love.

"Misty?"

She took a fraction of a second to school her face into the happy, playful mask everyone—everyone that was still around—thought was completely Misty.

"Good morning, Uncle Fox!" It was still morning right? "Is there something I can do for you?" She busied herself with the already organized stack of papers, just so she could get away from his knowing gaze.

"I thought you would like some help to find your way to the conference room. This place can be a bit of a maze if you're not used to it."

She nodded as she picked up her folders. "Thanks, that'd be great." She stepped from behind her desk expecting to follow him out of the room, only to have him close the heavy wooden door and lock it with a finalizing _click_. "What are you—"

"We have time and I want to talk." There was a command in his voice that made Misty want to obey, but she was desperate enough to put up a fight.

"This is neither the time or the place." It was said firmly but with as much respect she could summon at the moment.

Lucius stood firmly at his place. "If you're worried about someone hearing, the walls are too thick for that."

Misty sighed and put her burden back on the table with a _thunk_. "What do you want to talk about then?"

"Misty," he paused as he thought about what to say. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

The remains of her mask melted away as her blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

Sensing her discomfort, he took a comforting step closer. "I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't have come here just to cause trouble. You had to have had a reason, and my gut's telling me it wasn't your choice. So again, I ask, what have you gotten yourself into, Misty?"

"I—" She what? Made a deal with the devil? No, she made a deal with the _Joker._ "I don't know what you want me to say, Lucius. All I can tell you is that I can handle it." _Just because I say it doesn't mean it's true._

"And I don't think you can!" Misty's narrowed eyes had him lowering his voice and trying again. "Whatever is going on, you don't have to go through it alone. Let me help you. Let _Bruce _help you; you know he would. Just _please_, don't let your sense of pride get you or anyone else hurt."

He was worried, that much was clear, and Misty hated that she was the cause of this in the closest thing she had to family. But in this situation she had to choose between him being disappointed in her and putting him in danger just so she could get out of the jam she had gotten herself into. It wasn't a hard decision to make.

"Uncle Fox," she said, waiting for him to look her directly in the eye before continuing. Lying came easily to Misty; it always had, and from past experience, she knew that someone would be fast to believe your words if you were able to make eye contact. It was the reason she was able to get away with all of the things she did as a child, and later, it helped immensely in keeping Shadow a secret. "If it gets to be too much for me to deal with, you'll be the first to know, but honestly, you're worrying yourself over nothing. Now, come on. I wouldn't want to be late for a meeting; the boss might think badly of me."

Lucius shook his head as they exited the room. The worry hadn't completely left the planes of his face, but there was a fond smile. "You are too much."

Misty smiled at the passing employees of Wayne Enterprises. "You know you love me," she teased.

"That I do," he said. "That I do."

And she loved him too, which is why she would do anything to keep him safe; including lie. Besides he was all she had left.

* * *

><p>Meetings, Misty thought, had to be the worst part of her job; especially when they were practically meaningless. She had the slight suspicion that the only reason she was here, was so <em>someone<em> wouldn't have to suffer alone.

She looked at Bruce whose face sported a pained expression as his head rolled back and forth on the back of his seat out of boredom. It almost looked as if he were counting the ceiling tiles.

Misty vaguely recognized the droning of someone's voice at the front room, but she gave up trying to listen thirty minutes into the damn thing. Honestly, who spent _this_ much time talking about numbers? Why couldn't they talk about interesting stuff, like the types of weapons they had hidden in the depths of the building?

Remembering that, she made a mental note to get Bruce to show her exactly what kind of things Wayne Enterprises had packed away.

Looking for something to keep her mind off of this unique form of torture, Misty reached for the pen on the table in front of her, intending on doodling on a piece of paper when she got a wicked idea. Grinning, she rolled up the sleeve of her silk, emerald green dress shirt to her elbow.

Casting a quick glance at Bruce, she began drawing on the inside of her wrist. She worked slowly, wanting to get the makeshift tattoo perfect and just how she had seen it the night before. As she worked, her smile grew, and even more so when she felt Bruce's eyes on her.

The outline was almost done when he leaned in to whisper, "What are you doing?"

She didn't look up when she replied, "I'm bored."

He was still watching closely as she filled in the sharp lines of her art. When she was done she twisted her arm to examine the dark shape of a bat. "What do you think?" She looked up to see that he was struggling to hold back a laugh.

"I think," he paused still staring at her work. "That you are insane!"

Misty sat back in her seat and rested her arm on the armrest so they could both see. "Yeah, I get that a lot. It turned out nice if I do say so myself."

"Why a bat?"

"Um…Batman." She said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world which, if they were being honest, it was.

"_Right_," his tone implying just how humorously crazy she was. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of sitting here_._

The mischievous smile had Misty's eyes narrowing into slits. "Bruce, what are you—"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he said standing and projecting his voice for everyone to her. "But I just remembered that Ms. Matthews and I have some business to take care of. So, if you'll excuse us…"

Misty didn't hesitate taking the hand that was offered to her to help her stand. She smiled and briefly nodded at the confused faces. Grabbing her papers, she followed Bruce out of the door of the conference room and only began laughing as they walked through the halls. "I may be mean, but you, Bruce Wayne, are _very_ bad."

Bruce chuckled, the deep, amused sound resonating from his chest. "Coming from you, that's a very high compliment."

"You bet your ass it is! Wait, where are we going?"

The warmth of Bruce's hand incased hers as the made their way up the service steps. "The roof."

Misty froze halfway up one of the staircases, eyeing the man suspiciously. "I vaguely remember threatening to push you off of the roof not to long ago…"

"Misty," Bruce murmured as he struggled to pull her up the steps. "I'm not going to push you off of the roof. _You're_ the mean one remember?"

"Promise you're not going to push me?" Misty kept a straight face during their exchange, though wanted nothing more than to kiss the face of the man who was showing a considerable amount of patience.

"Well, I'd planned on kissing you when we got up there, but if you'd prefer to go back to the meeting—"

They were moving again, this time by Misty's hand. With a strong push on Bruce's part, the door to the roof swung open with a screech and a burst of chilled air.

Misty had no time to examine her surroundings before she was being pulled into a tight hug and deeply kissed.

Bruce's kisses under any circumstance were always passionate. Whether it was lust-filled passion or emotional passion, they had a way of making Misty feel both carefree and dangerous; wanted and needed. It was the small things that had her coming back for more. The way his fingertips traced the tips of her hair, or how he seemed to always want her closer even with her body flush against his. He seemed to do exactly what she needed, and because of that, it was amazing kissing Bruce. Unfortunately, it had the tendency to end much too soon.

When Misty opened her eyes, she was greeted with a smile that was less guarded than anyother that she had seen grace the man's face. It took her breath away and brought forth a smile of her own…until he spoke.

"I think we need to talk, and I mean it this time." Her smile melted away as she watched Bruce walk to the wall of the roof that overlooked the city. Stiffly, Misty followed after, feeling her emotional walls fall into place.

One phrase, no matter how much dread it held, shouldn't make her feel this way unless she was starting to feel something for Bruce Wayne. Which she wasn't…was she? "Talk about what exactly?"

The cold wind reminded her that one of her sleeves was rolled up, but she couldn't bring herself to cover up her bat. Bracing her hands against the edge of the wall, she also braced herself for what was to come.

"Us?" Bruce laughed, though Misty couldn't find the humor in the situation. "Look Misty, we've known each other for a little over a week now and have managed to go through all of the motions of, at least, a three month relationship. Despite that, I like you; I mean _really_ like you." His smirk was pure man. "I guess what I want to know is if this is leading to something serious, or is it casual? Should I start telling Alfred to make breakfast for three?"

Misty could feel his gaze on her face, but she continued to stare out at the clouds blanketing the sky.

Quite honestly, she wasn't sure what she wanted. Obviously, when she had come to Gotham , she hadn't planned on making friends or _boyfriends_, but there was no denying that something was building between her and Bruce. The fact that Misty even _thought_ about him when he wasn't around was a big clue that this was different than any other relationship she had been in in the past—almost—year.

She knew that what she was doing—letting herself get close to the man she was helping to take down—was incredibly stupid and dangerous, but she also knew that, deep down, she couldn't really go through with the Joker's plan. Somehow, she was going to have to find a way out of it, and maybe Bruce or Batman was her way.

A gust of wind blew her hair in her face, and she absentmindedly combed it out her eyes, continuing to look outward but not really seeing. "I don't really _like_ breakfast."

She didn't need to look over to know he wasn't looking at her anymore. "I'm sure Alfred can change your mind."

Misty heaved a big sigh. "It's been awhile. I'm kinda rusty on the relationship thing."

"We'll relearn it together," he reassured.

"I cause a lot of trouble," Misty tried.

Bruce chuckled. "So I've been told. Alfred keeps the house stocked with pain relievers."

Misty turned her head to look at him, eyes narrowed. "_Who_ told you?"

He looked back, amusement written on his face. "Fox."

She turned from his gaze. "Oh." _Of course he did._

"Misty," Bruce tried, and then "_Misty_" when she didn't look at him. When she _did_ return his gaze however, she nearly got lost in the darkness of his eyes. "I'm willing to try if you are."

She really shouldn't. There were many, _many_ reasons why she shouldn't agree to this, but when she opened her mouth to say so, what came out was, "I like coffee in the morning…and occasionally tea."

"I'll let Alfred know." And then she was being pulled into another deep kiss, not even bothering to wonder _how_ this was going to work, but knowing she was going to _make _it.

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><p>The fact that they were always able to find each other fascinated Shadow. As they met in a seemingly—you never really knew in a city like Gotham—abandoned alley—Shadow naturally coming out of the shadows and Batman landing gracefully from his flight—she briefly entertained the idea of purposely hiding to see if the Bat would be able to find her. It was that thought that fueled the sharpness of her smile.<p>

"Evening, Batman. Lovely night isn't it?" Shadow tilted her head up to indicate the darkest of clouds, heavy raindrops falling solidly on her face.

Well, _she_ thought it was a nice night, but judging by the tightness of Batman's, he didn't. Shadow didn't think the rain enjoyed his presence too much either by the way they were quickly falling from his face, as if to get away.

There was no reply, so Shadow decided to fill the silence. "_So_…how's this gonna work? Do we wander around aimlessly in hope of finding some wrong-doing criminal, or do you have some kind of bat-gadget to do the searching for us?"

The way his cape closed around his body mesmerized her, and she had a strong urge to touch it. But just as she took a step to do so, his gloved hand emerged from under its hiding place, palming something. "Take this. It will help us keep in contact when we aren't close."

She picked up the earpiece carefully, examining it in the poor lighting. "What is it?"

"A walkie-talkie of sorts. The speaker can always be heard by the receiver as long as it's turned on, but the only way to put feed through is to press this to open the connection," he pointed to a small, but easy to locate button. "Insert it in your ear and we have easy communication if needed."

Shadow went to do just that, but then paused when a thought surfaced. Eyeing the device she asked, "Tracker?"

He didn't even shake his head as he said, "No. No, tracker."

"How do I know you're telling the truth," Shadow asked.

"You don't. You're just going to have to trust me." She decided to check it out later.

Excited about her new toy, Shadow put the device in place, surprised at how much it _didn't _impair her hearing. "But is it waterproof," she joked, and she could have sworn she had seen his lips twitch in an almost-smile. "What's the game plan, Bat?"

He huffed at the nickname. "Now, we patrol. Stick close. If you see anything, let me know."

Shadow placed her hands on her hips in displeasure. She wasn't quite ready to give up being difficult yet. "And where will _you_ be?"

"Around." And with the _swish_ of his cape, he was gone.

"No manners," Shadow mumbled as she shot her grapple and took off on the roof tops.

The thrill of jumping and swinging through the Gotham air pumped rich adrenaline through her veins. Not even the moist chill could stop the feeling of soaring. She had to remind herself on multiple occasions that she had to be on the look out.

After an hour of aimlessly searching—and finding absolutely no bad guys to punch—Shadow was getting incredibly bored. She was contemplating starting something for the hell of it when she heard Batman's rough voice.

"Any luck?" If anyone asked, she definitely hadn't just jumped and turned around expecting to see his dark figure. She took a second to let her embarrassment to fade before pressing the button to reply to his unexpected question.

"None. At all," she practically whined. "I'm bored. Wanna fight?"

"Not particularly, no. You need to focus if this is going to work," he said sternly, but with patience.

Shadow huffed and knew it was heard because the equipment was just _that_ good. "I know how to focus. I just choose not to." She waited a whole minute for a growled response but none came. "Hey, Bat? You there?"

After another half-minute of anxiously waiting—and worrying because she just _knew_ something wasn't right—he answered her, voice coming out as a low, almost inaudible growl; his form of whispering. "How fast can you be in the Narrows ?"

She _really_ had a bad feeling. "Five minutes if I hurry. Why?"

"Get here. Trouble spotted."

She barely had time to say, "On my way" before she was moving through the sky. Her familiarity and precision with one of her favorite tools, the grapple, allowed her to move at an incredible speed, and she was able to reach her partner in 4.5 seconds. But the sight that she was faced with stalled her for another .5. Men in clown masks coming from all directions with crowbars and bats at ready.

Of course she knew who it was that was causing the trouble, but the problem was Shadow didn't know which side she was supposed to be on right now. Had something gone wrong and the plan was being put into action _now_, or was this just one of the clown's sick jokes.

The possibilities raced through her mind, but ultimately, she knew what she had to do. She couldn't bear to see something happen to him; she just wasn't _ready_!

Shadow landed perfectly in the middle of the group, back-to-back with Batman. Wasting no time, she clicked her bo-staff open and began tearing through a layer of madmen.

Her blood was pumping and her heart was racing at full speed, but when a high pitch cackle sounded, it all stopped with a painful jolt. "Oooh, Bats! Long time no, uh, _see_!"

Shadow took a step back, whether it was to protect Batman or get away from the Joker, she had no clue. Probably both.

"_Joker_." That one word was growled out with more malice than Shadow thought one person could possess. But this wasn't a person; it was Batman.

Joker giggled, feeding off of the attention. When his eyes turned to Shadow, her lip curled up in a snarl, but she didn't dare speak. "Who's your _friend_? She's cute!"

She almost jumped when she felt Batman's back press lightly to her's, in protection. The pressure reminding her to breath. "What do you want, Joker?"

The man in question scuffed an already worn shoe on the ground in way meant to look innocent, but looked anything but. "Just comin' to say hi; maybe have some, I don't know, _fun_? Yeah! Let's have some fun." Shadow didn't miss the message conveying look she got before Joker's men were coming closer and slowly working their way in-between the two—sort of—heroes.

She was being moved closer to the Joker slowly and continued to fight out of anger. When she almost got close enough touch him, he ran off around a corner.

Shadow immediately followed, running fast enough to almost be considered flying. Even when she didn't see the Joker's retreating figure under the orange light of the streetlamps, she kept moving. She wasn't expecting the world to start spinning, but when it came to a stop with the back of her head painfully slammed into a brick wall, she was face-to-face with her target.

Keeping her voice low just incase Batman was close, Shadow hissed, "What the hell are you doing? I was so confused! How was I supposed to know what to do?"

Joker remained unfazed. "You seemed to, uh, figure it out _just _fine without my help." His questioning gaze would have made her tense if she hadn't known better than to show the concern.

"I figured it would be best to keep up appearances until I knew for sure than to give us away prematurely," she lied smoothly. Shadow was very aware of the Joker's hands squeezing her arms almost too tight.

The wide grin she was given was unsettling, and she wanted nothing more than to get back to Batman's side, where she felt she belonged. "You're a smart girl, _Shadow_. Very smart indeed…"

Not liking the look she was getting, Shadow pushed the man's hands from her arms and made a point to look up at the sky. "Was there something you needed me for, or did you just decide it would be fun to fuck with me?"

Laughter reverberated off of the walls of the alley. "Well, as much fun as it was to see the _fear_ in your eyes," Shadow glowered. "I came by to tell you that all, uh, _sensitive _areas are clear. Just as long as you steer clear of the warehouse, we'll be a O.K! But I don't think that'll be a problem for you. You seem to be keeping Bats _very_, uh, busy."

"You son of a—" Shadow didn't get to finish her angry statement because the clown sent a swift, firm kick to her gut, causing her to, once again, hit her head of the brick wall. The pain and disorientation had her sliding to the dirty ground while she listened to the Joker's fading laugh.

Too busy trying to gather herself, Shadow hadn't noticed the other presence until they were kneeling next to her. There was a warm glove on the back of her head, feeling for a wound. "Are you okay?" If it hadn't come out in the usual growl, Shadow would have thought she heard concern in there.

Wincing, she pulled herself off of the concrete. "Yeah, I'm good." The rainfall picked up as the duo took a moment to analyze the event. Shadow remembered an earlier thought of wanting to be by Batman's side and wondered if she had been right about it being the place she belonged. Sneaking a glance at the vigilante who was checking a piece of equipment, she didn't know the use for, she had a strong feeling of _wanting_ to be by his side; wanting to be good enough to _fight _by his side.

Deciding that her emotional day was the cause of these foreign feelings, she jumped onto a near by dumpster on her way up to the roof. "Well, it's been interesting to say the least, but I'm calling it a night…or morning. Whatever."

Not waiting for a reply, Shadow pulled herself up, once again in the place she felt most comfortable. She had just made it out of the Narrows when Batman's voice reminded her of the earpiece. "You did good, Shadow."

She opened the connection before she even knew her intention. "'Night, partner." The smile was still there when Misty fell asleep that night.

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><p><strong>AN: Tell me what you think! Review!**

**Nightangel96**

***Edited by MulishaMaiden***


	10. Blood Money

**A/N: I'm baaaaack!**

**So, after about 5 months of not writing or updating, I've finally gotten back into the swing of things. I decided to continue with the original story, flaws and all just because, even though it might not be the most realistic, I do enjoy writing it. I hope I haven't lost any of you in the long wait, and I also hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Blood Money

Bruce had known the minute she had woken up. Even though he had been asleep himself, he had felt the very minor shift of the mattress. He kept his eyes closed, curious as to what would happen this time. In a matter of seconds, he had a warm body lying on top of his own.

He couldn't stop the smile from reaching his face as he opened his eyes.

"Good morning, handsome," Misty greeted, voice still rough with sleep in a way that made Bruce squirm slightly. Her grin was predatory when she felt the small movement but hid it by placing light feather kisses on his neck. Bruce moved his head to give her more access as he ran his hands up the bare skin of her back.

"Mmm…Good morning to you too." Even after spending the last three weeks waking up next to the woman, she still managed to surprise and satisfy him with her unique wake up calls. One thing that never changed though was her obsession with his scars. In the beginning, he had feared that they would cause a problem by giving away his _other _nightly activities, but weeks before, his worry proved to be pointless.

_Bruce stiffened as Misty ran a sharp finger over a long scar just under his ribs. From his position he couldn't see her face, but he did see her eyebrows pull into a sharp dip. When she looked up there was clear concern displayed on his face. She conveyed all of her question without saying a word. _

_Trying to salvage any part of the night he could he gave his best playboy smile and said, "I've met a lot of interesting people…"_

_There was a pause where Misty seemed to consider his words before a slow smile graced her lips and her eyebrow raised. "I don't think I want to know." Bruce huffed a small sigh of relieve until he saw the mischievous look on her face, then he stopped breathing completely. "They're kinda hot…"_

As a wet tongue ghosted over that same scar, he'd never been so thankful for being marked by the crazies of the city...the city that had become increasingly hard to protect when he had to sneak out of his own bed to do so. Especially when the thing in his bed was so appealing.

But to be fair, he did have a very beautiful distraction. Not that that's an excuse—

"Ow!" Bruce rubbed at the red spot forming on his throat from being bitten too hard. "What was that for?"

There was a pleased smirk on Misty's face. "You weren't paying attention. If I'm getting too boring for you, you could always find someone _else_ to wake you up."

"Oh, but Misty, you do it so well."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously at his teasing tone. "Are you fucking with me? Because if you are…"

By now, Bruce was used to the slight mood changes, chalking it down to the makeup of the woman. He found that with the tenderest of emotion, he could gently ease her away from any ill feelings. That's what he was doing as he lightly cupped her face and pulled her down to make their lips just barely touch. "I mean it, Misty. There is no one I'd rather be with right now."

He could feel it when her lips turned up a little. "Yeah?"

"Definitely." He pulled her down the rest of the way to _show_ her how true it was.

***TKS***

By the time they made it out of bed, it was early afternoon, but all Misty wanted to do was crawl back in. She used her long legs to dash to the heated tile of the bathroom. "Mind If I use your shower?"

Bruce looked up from his desk where he was checking his email. "Three weeks, Misty, and you _still_ ask. Are you being polite or just paranoid?"

"A bit of both. Is that a yes?"

She watched him resist the urge to roll his eyes—a habit he seemed to pick up from her—and turn back to the screen. "Of course that's a 'yes'…if you let me join you."

"Sorry boss-man. Showers are for getting clean, _not_ being dirty." With that, she stepped further into the bathroom and closed the door.

Misty didn't hesitate to step under the high pressure spray of the showerhead and reach for the body wash on the shelf thinking nothing of it until she began to scrub it into her body. The strong but not overpowering scent of cologne—_Bruce—_filled her nose. It wasn't the first time she'd used it, and even after Bruce offered to stock up on her _usual_ toiletries she'd always shot the idea down. He probably though it was her way of not intruding or getting too comfortable in the manor, but honestly, she just liked the fact that, even when she left him, she could still be close. That, when she was in another boring meeting, all she had to do was shift to be able to notice the lingering sent of…

Okay, so maybe she was getting a little _too_ attached.

She hadn't meant for it to happen of course, but Bruce was just so naturally comforting to her. He was also the perfect distraction from the buzzing, scary thoughts in her head.

Stepping out of the shower, Misty quickly dried off and dressed for the day. When she stepped back into the room, Alfred was holding up two neatly pressed suits for Bruce to choose from.

The old butler turned to her with a relieved smile. "Ms. Matthews! I'm sure you can help Master Bruce in deciding which suit he should wear tonight."

"Well…the black one is dark and sleek; while the grey is more formal and elegant. So it all depends on the occasion. What exactly _is _the occasion?"

While continuing to stare intently at the choices of clothing, Bruce answered, "Charity auction to raise money for a shelter to house the troubled kids of Gotham. Many of the high society bachelors are putting themselves up for auction for a date. Myself included. Aren't you coming?" He finally looked away from the problem at hand to give Misty a hopeful look.

"I wasn't invited," Bruce opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted. "And before you decide to give me an invitation, I'm pretty sure you're not hosting it, and _therefore_ have no right to do so." The billionaire cocked his head to the side, shocked by Misty's never-failing ability to read his mind.

Feeling quite proud, Misty gingerly began wandering about the large room in search of her purse and keys.

Gathering his wits, Bruce put on his best pleading face and said, "But it's for the children, Misty!"

"I'll write a check." She crossed Bruce to grab her car keys and purse.

"Would you like something to eat before you leave, Ms. Matthews?" Alfred asked.

Politely smiling at the man, Misty made her way to the door. "No, thank you, Alfred. I have a lunch date with some of the girls from the office." And then over her shoulder, "Wear the black."

As she walked to her car, Misty tried to bury the slowly growing jealousy at the thought of some rich snob getting their hands on Bruce.

***TKS***

"So…spill."

Misty looked up from her half eaten brownie in confusion. "Spill what?"

Laura just looked at her expectantly as Janice and Anna watched on curiously and a bit shyly. "Oh come on, Misty; we see the secret looks that pass between you and Mr. Wayne in the office. Obviously something is going on. So, what is it?"

The only thing that came out was a small choked sound.

She knew that she and Bruce sometimes got wrapped up in their so-called romance, but she hadn't known it was that obvious. People noticing could cause some major trouble for the both of them.

As if she read her mind, Laura leaned forward to look Misty in the face. "Hey, don't worry; we won't say anything. The only reason we noticed is because we kind of expected it when you first arrived. I just figured that, since we're such good guessers, we at least deserve to know _some_ of the juicy details. Only between the four of us of course."

Misty sat back in her chair, arms crossed. She didn't really know if it was the right thing to trust them in keeping what would be the biggest news in the Gotham—and any other—gossip, and yet the part of her that was longing for the friendship told her it was perfectly fine and the right thing to do.

She watched in amusement as they all watched back eagerly. Smirking, Misty said, "Alright, what do you want to know?"

This brought forth an avalanche of squeals and questions having to do with first dates, kissing, and the standard 'how is he in bed'. She answered most of the questions, tactfully leaving the rest to the imagination. When all was said and done, they had all finished their food and were waiting on the check.

Laura and Annabelle were busy chatting about some reality show when Janice turned to Misty. "So, are you going to bid tonight?" That seemed to catch their attention and they all, once again, focused on Misty.

"Bid? Oh, you mean the auction? I'm not going."

That got overly-dramatic gasps from all three girls, but it was Anna who spoke up. "You're just going to let him go by himself, where all those women are going to have the chance to get there hands on him?" Janice and Laura nodded in agreement.

The jealousy flared up again, and Misty had to fight hard to keep it down. "Look guys, it's not as if I have some kind of right to him. Our relationship can't really be considered serious or anything…"

"Oh, trust me," Janice began. "Your relationship is much more than casual. Casual to Mr. Wayne is all of the models and dancers he only sees once. You refer to his butler by his first name. That's not casual."

"Besides," Anna added, "you can always use the charity as an excuse. Just say you're going to contribute to the cause. For the children," she finished.

At that, Misty chuckled, getting confused looks. "Bruce said something similar this morning."

Laura smiled as if she had just won something. "See. He wants you there; therefore you have to go."

Misty sat silently in thought, absently twirling the melting ice in her cup. She really didn't like the idea of Bruce being there by himself. If anything, she could at least watch and make sure that the winner was worthy and not just horny. There was one problem though…

"What exactly does one wear to a charity auction?"

***TKS***

_What the hell am I doing? _Misty thought as she walked into the hotel ballroom.

Following the advice of her friends, she had decided to go the casual approach, wearing black slacks and a blue halter-top that was both businessy and flirtatious. Clothing wasn't the problem though.

The room was crowded with people in the best suits and the most expensive dresses. It seemed that the auctions where already taking place as there were two men standing on the stage towards the back of the room, one with a microphone calling out numbers with dollar signs in front of them.

Misty watched for a minute as signs were lifted, indicting a bid. So far it seemed like a pretty calm ordeal. She did a quick sweep of the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Prince himself. Coming up short, she made her way to the bar on the side of the room.

The bartender was expertly mixing up drinks for two men at the end of the bar that were watching her with alcohol-hazed eyes and slightly lewd smiles.

"You would think that, at an event like this, they would at least try to stay sober," a voice from behind said with disbelief.

Startled, Misty turned around, coming face-to-face with a blonde man who seemed to have a good taste in suits. He looked familiar, and even more so when he smiled shyly, creating barely noticeable crinkles around his green eyes.

"Grant Morgan. I guess I'd be considered the host of this gathering." Misty shook his hand.

"Misty Matthews. I guess I'd be considered the loiterer of this gathering." Grant laughed, as they parted.

The bartender took the moment to speak up. "What can I get you, Mr. Morgan?"

"Just a soda, Chet. For you, Ms. Matthews?"

"I'll take the same. Thanks." As they were handed their drinks, she added, "And it's Misty. At least while I'm not working."

Grant smiled and leaned against the bar, blocking the drunken men's view. Taken by the gesture, Misty smiled genuinely at the man.

"So, Misty, would I be correct to assume that you are the young lady at Wayne Industries that everyone has been talking about?"

Feeling slightly annoyed with the subject she went back to scanning the room for Bruce and answered, "I guess you would be."

There was still no luck on the Bruce search.

Expecting to have to answer questions about Gotham's biggest star, Misty was surprised when he asked, "How do you like Gotham so far? I know it can be a bit of a culture shock for some."

"I love it here," she said, focusing her attention back on the man that won her over again. "I always have."

"Do you visit a lot?" He asked with real interest.

Misty smiled fondly. "I did with my dad as a kid. It's been a while though. It's good to be back."

"I know what you mean. I moved back a few years ago after college. Cambridge and Gotham are two different worlds," he laughed so boyishly that she wanted to ruffle his hair.

"Oh, so you're a Harvard boy!" Misty exclaimed teasingly, getting a bright blush that made him look a lot younger than he probably was.

"You caught onto that, huh?"

Before she could respond, the guy at the microphone announced the last bachelor. Finally, the search was over, and Bruce stepped on stage wearing his black tux.

"Looks like the auctions will be coming to an end soon. I should go make sure that everything is being handled properly." He shook her hand in parting. "See you around, Misty."

It was almost a question so Misty nodded her head and smiled, but as soon as he turned, her attention was fully on Bruce.

He stood there with all of the confidence in the world, giving the women below his best smile; they smiled back as if they had some personal relationship with him.

The bidding started low, in the mid hundreds, and made a steady climb to a thousand. Even though the eagerness was palpable, the women seemed to be cautious, only making small bids of a hundred more than the one before.

She didn't really notice though because at some point, Bruce seemed to notice her standing there watching, and his face lit up. The moment they made eye contact, there was a silent competition going to see whose expression would break first. The bidders were forgotten for the moment as the sort-of couple played their game. It went on long enough for the number to reach four thousand and ended when Bruce rolled his eyes sneakily at the slow bidding, making her face crack into a grin.

There was something about their private moment that had Misty feeling as if he shouldn't be up there at all or at least that she should have the right to fight for him too. She hadn't planned on doing anything—it was better to keep her cool and let the girls have their fun— but when Bruce looked at her again, this time with the genuine smile she only saw in private and a wink that seemed to tell her that she was the only one who got to see the real Bruce, she couldn't help herself.

"Oh, come on," she grumbled to herself, and then louder with the wave of a hand, "Forty thousand for the man in black."

All eyes turned to Misty, most of them with pure venom.

The caller, stood there shocked for a split second before he gathered himself. "Forty thousand for the dashing mystery woman in the back! Going once, going twice…well, it looks like you've just won yourself a date Ms..?"

"Matthews," Bruce finished for him. "Misty Matthews."

There were claps, the majority belonging to the men, as the women continued to glare and wish that they hadn't been so scared about seeming too eager by making a higher bid. She didn't care though; she was too focused on the proud look on Bruce's face.

***TKS***

It didn't take him long at all to find her at her place by the bar.

"First you show up and then you bid? You are just _full _of surprises, Misty!" Bruce exclaimed by way of greeting.

"Well, you know me; I like to keep people on their toes."

He smirked and filled the space Grant had left not too long ago. "You sure are good at it." There was a hint of something much more personal in their conversation than an outsider could detect. "So, how much of a date do you think forty thousand should get you?"

"I don't want a date, Bruce."

The shocked look on his face would have been funny if there hadn't been hurt mixed in with it. "What do you mean you don't want a date?"

She just smirked though and said, "It's for the children, remember, Bruce?"

The emotion quickly changed when he could tell she was joking. Instead of shocked and hurt he was serious and open. "Let me take you out, Misty. Please? I want to."

The show their faces were putting on must have been an amusing one because immediately, Misty's mirrored her partner's.

"I _did_ just make myself the target of over half of the women in Gotham …"

Bruce casted a sly look at the staring women and chuckled. "How about we figure out the details somewhere less…crowded?"

"Sounds good to me," she murmured, captivated by just how incredibly attractive he was right now.

"Let me just tell the host I'm leaving."

Misty watched him walk away, feeling just a bit lightheaded at how sincere he had been. Everyday she spent with him, she became more attached. The thought that she would be leaving him after all of this was over left her with an empty feeling. If she were so naïve, she would try to plan a way to be able to stay, but that was one thing Misty was not. When all was said and done, Bruce wouldn't have time for her because he would be too busy trying to put his city back together, and that wasn't even considering him finding out that she was the one who helped it become broken.

The sound of shattering glass broke her thoughts. Gasps filled the room followed by screams of terror.

Instantly, Shadow responded, and even before she saw the men enter the room, she was trying to make her way out to her car where she had a spare suit hidden in the faux-bottom of her suitcase. The only problem was that those not frozen were trying to find the quickest way out too.

It was chaos trying to move through the crowds, but finally everyone stopped moving. Misty didn't even worry about why until she heard the laugh.

"You have _got _to be kidding me!" She huffed to herself. Slowly she turned around, revealing the last person she ever wanted to see.

"Well…_hello_ ladies and gentlemen!" He paused to look around at all of the shocked faces. "I know what you're thinking… 'A repeat performance?', but _no_. No, we're just here for your money," he cackled. "Oh, and I thought that maybe you were, uh, in need of another _willing_ bachelor." Joker fixed his collar as if primping, laughter filling the large room.

A small woman in a dress that could probably be enough funds for _two_ new buildings was sobbing softly, drawing his attention to her. She gave a pathetic squeak when the clown looked at her and went paler than a ghost as he went closer and grasped her chin.

"Now, there's no need to be _afraid_, cupcake. We can settle this like the adults we are. Just think of it as, uh, _charity_."

With a small flick of his fingers, he had his masked goons spreading out all over the room holding out bags like a kid would on Halloween. Their drawn on smiles were more frightening than any festive costume Misty had seen though.

Hoping that it wasn't too late, she started to move slowly towards the open double doors. She had only gotten a few steps away from her original place at the bar when Joker's eyes flashed towards her.

For a moment, Misty forgot she wasn't Shadow because she could have sworn there was a flash of recognition, but just like that, it was gone.

Joker began making his way around the room, looking closely at jewelry and ties that would most likely be taken away from their owners soon. "You know, you people fascinate me. You _claim_ to be doing this for the sake of the cute little kiddies without homes 'oh, let's give our _hard-earned _money to those less fortunate than us'," he mocked in a high pitched voice. "But have you ever thought that maybe it would mean _more_ if you didn't show up _wearing_ enough money to feed them all a four-course meal?" He looked around as if for confirmation. "No? Didn't think so."

It didn't go unnoticed to Misty that he was getting closer and closer to her, but there was nothing she could do at this point. Just as they were about to come face-to-face, a man—the first bachelor she saw being auctioned—spoke up, drawing the madman's attention to him.

"You won't get away with this, Joker. We caught you once, and we can do it again."

_Clearly the only thing the guy has going for him is his looks…_

"Ha! You sound so _sure _of yourself that I almost believed you there for a moment, but ya see, I think I might have someone who could help me get out of this one…" Misty's heart stopped as he looked directly at her. "Isn't that right, _gorgeous?_"

Defiance started her heart up again. "Sorry _darling_, but I don't associate with lunatics."

His laughter was so shrill and filled with irony, that she almost winced.

"How about we change that, hmm?" Before she knew it, Misty was being hugged from behind, a familiar knife at her throat. The Joker's gloved hand was tight enough that she knew she would have bruises in the morning and not the fun kind.

She was sure there were screams at her capture, but she heard them from far away. Again, Misty was being shoved into the back of her own mind, being replaced with something more frightening and definitely more pissed off.

Pictures began flashing rapidly in her mind; pictures of pain and violently red blood flowing from open wounds, but not just anyone's pain. She wanted the Joker's pain.

The press of the sharp knife became the only thing she was aware of, and for the first time, Misty willingly gave into the darkness that filled her mind.

As soon as she did, any struggle in her went away, and she leaned all of her weight on the man behind her. Barely moving her lips so the only one that would notice was her capturer, she whispered, "Wanna play?"

There was a startled laugh that soon turned to one of great pleasure as Joker began to produce some kind of rope to tie her hands with. "Well, as fun as this has _been_, I think it's time for us to depart…_fashionably_ of course."

As he bid his farewell, Joker moved them towards the doors that lead to the back alley. With one last majestic wave, he pushed them out into the cold but heavy Gotham night.

Before she could even take a proper survey of her surroundings, Misty was being thrown into the back of a horribly spray painted van followed by the Joker.

"Yeah, this getaway car _definitely _won't attract attention…" Misty muttered. The van lurched forward as they took off.

One of the masked clowns huffed irritably. "Want me to shut her up, Boss?"

"No, no. She _entertains _me."

Misty stayed quiet. If she had been in her right mind, she would be worrying about things like whether or not her identity was safe and just what Joker planned to do with her, but she wasn't. Really all she cared about right now was the excitement and beating the clown at his own game.

She almost laughed as she saw a pocket knife lying on the floor, presumably coming from one of the two men in the back with her when the van first took off. Waiting for just the right moment, the captive grabbed for the weapon with her bound hands as the van turned a sharp corner. Immediately she began working on the ropes tying her hands.

"Good God! Who's driving this thing? What, are you too cheap to buy your guys glasses, Joker? Shitty employer you are."

Joker was too busy catching his balance to notice that she had gotten her hands free. When he turned to her, he was all smiles. "Oh, we're going to have _fun_ with _you_."

Taking that as her cue—and one of the biggest risks of her life—Misty brought the knife into view pointing directly at her stomach. "Not if I'm dead."

Misty tried desperately to take back control of her body. This wasn't what she had wanted when she had given up the reigns to whatever the hell it was that seemed to haunt her. She had wanted a way out; one that didn't involve a dramatic form of self-mutilation. The hold on her body, however, was too strong, and she was forced to just watch as the knife was swiftly brought down hard towards her body.

She expected pain along with blood and lots of it. So she was surprised when neither came and there was another hand on the knife, but this time trying to pull it away.

There was an ironic struggle going on as Misty continued to try to stab herself and the Joker was trying to stop her.

"What the hell are you doing?" He growled

Misty's body smirked and spoke in victory. "Winning."

In one quick move, she kicked up, sending the Joker to the back of the van and maneuvered the door open and flung herself out onto the street.

The impact on the concrete should have hurt—and it did slightly—but she brushed it away in favor of jumping at the opportunity to take over again.

While she regained her sense of self, Misty watched the van disappear as it turned a corner.

"Son of a bitch," she growled in anger. It was one thing to have him mess with her life as Shadow, but it was completely another for him to interfere with Misty's.

Too caught up in her rage, she didn't notice the sound of tires screeching to a stop. She did, however, look over to see a black boot approaching her place on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Batman's deep voice sounded even more powerful to Misty than it did as Shadow. She didn't have to fake her astonishment as she looked up, mouth agape.

"Oh my god, you're…I can't believe—" Misty grasped the hand offered to her as she stood. She laughed at her lack of finesse and apologized. "I'm sorry! I'm just a bit star struck. You're _Batman_," she informed him.

"Are you okay, Ms. Matthews?" he repeated, this time with more caution, as if she might have hit her head too hard.

Misty giggled. "You know my name?" Batman stood motionless and equally silent. Sobering up, "Right, yeah, I'm fine. Those guys were just…well, I guess you can't make friends with everyone." Again she laughed with no response.

She took a minute to really look at the hero in front of her. Even knowing that it was Bruce under the cowl, Misty still felt as if she were meeting this man for the first time. She was aware that she was acting a bit like a teenaged girl who just met her idol, but really it wasn't much different.

Batman's courage was what had inspired her to take on the responsibility of Shadow. Shadow was strong because he proved that someone like her could exist, but right now she was Misty. And truth be told, Misty did have kind of a small crush on the Dark Knight.

Which is why she found herself blushing slightly.

"I am making a complete fool of myself right now. I should probably head back," she pointed in the general direction of the hotel. "Wouldn't want them sending out a search party. Thanks for, ya know, checking on me..? I'll just—"

She gave an airy wave and began walking towards the sidewalk.

"I can't let you go alone. Joker could decide to turn around." He seemed to have aimed for emotionless, but Misty could sense the undertones of a worried Bruce. Though that wasn't really shocking because Bruce had never seen her act so air-headed before. She was sure she would be laughing about tonight once she passed the shock.

"What are you going to do? Walk me there?" She chuckled before she saw him shift slightly, indicating the black monster of a vehicle behind him. "Oh. _Oh_, you mean you want to…"

She didn't even get to finish speaking before he walked over to his car—_bat-car_, Shadow provided—and opened the top.

Cautiously, Misty stepped forward. "You're sure?"

Batman extended his hand to her, and she took that as a yes. Delicately, she was handled as she found her way in. Before they took off, Misty spoke, "You know, despite being kidnapped by a man wearing more makeup than I would even buy, this night has been pretty kickass."

Misty could have sworn that there had been a smirk, but then she was being thrown back into the seat and onto the Gotham streets.

**A/N: I'm not sure when the next time I'll be updating is, but I will try to make the in between time shorter :D**

**Also, you know the drill: reviews are love, and I love love!**

***edited by midnightwings96**


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